After three decades of keeping Welsh musical traditions alive in the Illawarra, the Wollongong Welsh Choir is preparing to sing its final notes. The group, founded by Welsh migrants in the early 1990s, will hold its last concert this December before disbanding for good.
The End of an Era for Welsh Culture
Choir president Dr Paul Sharrad confirmed the difficult decision, citing a sharp decline in membership as the primary reason. The choir, which once boasted over 40 singers with at least half being native Welsh speakers, has struggled to attract new members in recent years.
"There are fewer actual Welsh people in Wollongong than there used to be," Dr Sharrad explained. "Once upon a time it was all engineers and people working in coal mines and BHP." He noted that many of the choir's original members are now in their mid-eighties, with health issues making participation difficult.
While the choir welcomed a couple of young Welsh immigrants who provided a temporary boost, Dr Sharrad said two people alone were not enough to sustain the group's future.
The Challenge of a Daunting Language
According to the choir's constitution, at least half of its repertoire must be performed in the Welsh language. Dr Sharrad said this requirement has become a significant barrier to attracting new singers, even as other Illawarra choirs experience a resurgence.
"Every time we got a new person, they just throw up their hands in horror at learning Welsh," he said. "People look at the double L's and think, what the hell's that?"
He emphasised that Welsh pronunciation is not as difficult as it appears once you understand its orthography, such as knowing that a "W" is pronounced as an "O". Despite the strong Welsh choral tradition rooted in chapel history, Dr Sharrad said he has met many Welsh people in the area who have declined to join, simply stating, "I'm the Welsh person who can't sing."
A Legacy of Music and Friendship
The choir was originally formed by a group of Welsh people who wanted to get together and sing, and was driven for many years by proud Welshman John Jones. Over its 30-year history, the group built an impressive legacy.
They performed across the state at numerous Celtic festivals, sang with other Welsh choirs in Melbourne, and experienced the highlight of performing in massed Welsh choirs at the Sydney Opera House at least twice, alongside roughly 400 singers from around the world.
"It's sad to lose all that collected weight of musical knowledge," Dr Sharrad reflected. "We've had a good run." He said he would deeply miss the music and the friendships forged over many years.
Final Bow with Christmas Carols
The choir's final concert will be held on Sunday, December 14 at the Corrimal Uniting Church hall at 1.30pm. Tickets are $10 at the door, with afternoon tea to follow.
The performance will feature a mix of Christmas carols and songs from the choir's usual repertoire. This includes hymns, pop songs like Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, a Welsh translation of Take Me Home Country Road, and traditional pieces like Silent Night sung partly in Welsh.
Dr Sharrad described the program as "half choral stuff and half community sing-along carols," offering a fitting, celebratory farewell to three decades of Welsh song in Wollongong.
