“You will be the best audience we ever had”
The Name sounds traditional. The Choir is fantastic. Morriston Orpheus Choir was formed on 23rd April 1935 by Ivor E Sims and, in its early days concentrated primarily on competitions and local concerts. In 1937 the Choir achieved its first success at the Royal National Eisteddfod in Machynlleth, going on to win at the "National" on six further occasions. Although many years have passed since the Choir last sang in competitions, its present members do not forget the eminence which their predecessors achieved and they constantly strive for the musical excellence in which audiences at home and overseas delight.Over the years, successive Musical Directors have developed and broadened the repertoire. Variety is now the hallmark of the Choir's performances which include arrangements by Alwyn Humphreys M.B.E., Musical Director from 1979 to January 2005 (http://www.morristonorpheus.com/).
Highlights of previous overseas tours have included four appearances at British Military Tattoos and Concerts in the former West Berlin, participating at the International Choral Festivals in Nancy, France, and Toronto, Canada, representing Wales at Expo '92 in Seville, Spain, and becoming in 1996, the first British choir to perform at the International Choral Festival in Bydgoszcz, Poland. The Choir has been received enthusiastically in all the major cities of Australia and New Zealand - including standing ovations at their two appearances at the world famous Sydney Opera House.
Yesterday, I had the chance to see them live. And I was only partly surprised when the choir started a highly nationalistic welsh discourse and when suddendly, as an answer to this discourse, four welsh flags appeared in the public. The Choir was proud, the Musical Director and the rest of the public laughing.
The Name sounds traditional. The Choir is fantastic. Morriston Orpheus Choir was formed on 23rd April 1935 by Ivor E Sims and, in its early days concentrated primarily on competitions and local concerts. In 1937 the Choir achieved its first success at the Royal National Eisteddfod in Machynlleth, going on to win at the "National" on six further occasions. Although many years have passed since the Choir last sang in competitions, its present members do not forget the eminence which their predecessors achieved and they constantly strive for the musical excellence in which audiences at home and overseas delight.Over the years, successive Musical Directors have developed and broadened the repertoire. Variety is now the hallmark of the Choir's performances which include arrangements by Alwyn Humphreys M.B.E., Musical Director from 1979 to January 2005 (http://www.morristonorpheus.com/).
Highlights of previous overseas tours have included four appearances at British Military Tattoos and Concerts in the former West Berlin, participating at the International Choral Festivals in Nancy, France, and Toronto, Canada, representing Wales at Expo '92 in Seville, Spain, and becoming in 1996, the first British choir to perform at the International Choral Festival in Bydgoszcz, Poland. The Choir has been received enthusiastically in all the major cities of Australia and New Zealand - including standing ovations at their two appearances at the world famous Sydney Opera House.
Yesterday, I had the chance to see them live. And I was only partly surprised when the choir started a highly nationalistic welsh discourse and when suddendly, as an answer to this discourse, four welsh flags appeared in the public. The Choir was proud, the Musical Director and the rest of the public laughing.
The combination of both entertainment and singing made the content of the performance original and interesting, without appearing populistic or nonprofessional. The direct approach to the choir through the Musical Director was amusing, since we had the opportunity to listen sentences such as: “These guys here are happy with a good breakfast in the morning and a Pint in the evening”, or “We have all original members, that’s the welsh side of our repertoire”.
Everytime you walk to the opera house, you have this special feeling; you feel enchanted walking into a different era. An era of australian pride, of upper-class behaviour and of fairytale dream. With this Choir, the paradox of high-society and patriotic humor is reached. This was their last performance in Australia, after a three weeks travelling through Australia and New-Zealand. But we are all invited to Swansea/Wales ...
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