Wales is known as the “Land of Song” and almost every small town and village has a choir of some kind. Overseas, one Welshman will start a chapel, two a committee, three an exiles’ group and four a choir. Hong Kong is no exception, and in 1978 a small group of St David’s Society members got together to form a choir with the aim of performing at the next Welsh Ball.
In the 37 years since, the Hong Kong Welsh Male Voice Choir has become a well-established organisation in its own right, building a high reputation not only at home but also internationally, where it has performed with distinction at venues such as Sydney Opera House and the Royal Albert Hall - where, incidentally, it will be returning this coming October. In addition it has backed a number of international stars on their visits to Hong Kong, including the late Sir Harry Secombe, Max Boyce and Hayley Western.
While the Choir still counts several Welshmen in its ranks, including two of the founder members, today it reflects the city’s cosmopolitan nature with a repertoire ranging from Welsh to Swahili and Chinese, and a membership drawn from more than a dozen different countries. The one thing that binds them together is that they all love to sing.
Besides being a regular fixture at the Hong Kong St David’s Ball, the Choir has been performing at its Bangkok counterpart since 1983. Within Asia, the Choir also makes annual visits to the Philippines and has sung in Saigon, Beijing, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur in recent years. Many of these local and regional performances are for charity fund-raising events, with members paying their own travelling expenses.
The Choir is always keen to welcome new members to its ranks, Welsh or otherwise – the only requirements are to be male (sorry, ladies!) and to be able to sign in tune. We take our singing seriously but have a lot of fun at the same time! Practices are held every Tuesday evening and Saturday morning at the Li Hall next to St John’s Cathedral in Central. Come and talk to one of the boys tonight if you’d like to know more.
