The Australian Welsh Male Choir, a choir of approximately 60 members singing in the spirit of the great male choirs of Wales, embarked on an exciting Outback tour from the Mornington Peninsula recently to celebrate their 50th anniversary. They recreated their much-loved Singing In The Pub events in various outback towns, pubs, and community halls across Australia.

The tour saw them perform in Ballarat, Bordertown, sing along the banks of the Murray River at Murray Bridge, give a concert in Adelaide, and croon in Coober Pedy. One of the highlights was performing at the renowned Desert Song Festival at Ormiston Gorge, singing at the Palace Hotel, spiritual home of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and at an Uluru sunset. They then made their way home via Sydney, Canberra, and the iconic Ettamogah Pub.

In addition to pub singing, the choir presented concerts in Adelaide, Bordertown, Port Augusta, Uluru, at the Desert Song Festival in Alice Springs, Ormiston Gorge, Broken Hill, Sydney, and Canberra before wrapping up the tour at the Ettamogah Pub.

The Outback Pub Tour brought back memories of previous tours, like when they traveled to China, Taipei, and Hong Kong in 2017. During that tour, a delay at Melbourne Airport led to an impromptu rehearsal when Musical Director Tom Buchanan OAM found a piano, much to the delight of their talented accompanist Michelle Nguyen and fellow passengers.

This time, they didn’t travel by plane but in their own bus — ”not quite Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, but close!”

 Their first stop was Melbourne’s Bricklane Brewing Victoria Market, followed by  Singing In The Pub at Ballarat’s iconic Craig’s Royal Hotel, built in 1853. The hotel, famous for hosting poets, princes, and prime ministers, welcomed them warmly, and young Molly from Brecon, working in Australia for just nine months, joined in to sing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau after being moved to tears during Calon Lan.

The tour continued to Bordertown, where they performed at the Bordertown Civic and Arts Centre in a concert organised by the Bordertown Rotary to raise funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. The song Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines was a crowd favourite. After the concert, some audience members joined the choir for more pub singing at the Bordertown Hotel.

Stops along the way included a photo opportunity at the Big Koala at Dadswell Bridge and a visit to Coonalpyn, part of South Australia’s silo art trail. They admired the stunning murals and even the mosaic-decorated public toilets. In Murray Bridge, they enjoyed lunch at the River Side Café 24 before a quick song on the banks of the mighty Murray River.

In Adelaide, they performed a joint concert with the Metropolitan Male Voice Choir of South Australia at Flinders Street Baptist Church and had a lively Singing In The Pub at their hotel. On the road again, they stopped at Port Germain, home to South Australia’s silo art trail, and learned about the town’s rich farming and wartime history.

In Port Augusta, the choir sang with the local Desert Voices at the Western Hotel, enjoying another night of Singing In The Pub before continuing to Coober Pedy, where they performed at the Desert Cave Hotel. Their journey took them past Spud’s Roadhouse and Woomera, where they explored Coober Pedy’s opal mines and red earth landscapes.

Their next stop was Uluru, where the ancient monolith took their breath away. The choir marveled at its significance to the local Anangu people and sang beneath the striking domes of Kata-Tjuta. They continued to Alice Springs, where they performed at the Desert Song Festival, alongside Men Aloud at the Araluen Theatre and sang at Ormiston Gorge, one of the tour’s most unforgettable moments.

On their way back, they stopped at Marla Roadhouse, where they met fascinating travelers, including backpackers from Brazil and Ireland, and Nigel Rowe, a journalist cycling around Australia. Their journey continued through remote country, and at Cobar, they performed in a historic mining town with stops along the way in Wilcannia, the land of the Barkinji people.

In Broken Hill, the choir stayed at the Palace Hotel, famous for Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. They wrapped up their tour with a joint performance with local choristers, raising funds for Landcare Broken Hill. Their last day included visiting the Line of Lode Miners Memorial, a somber reminder of the harsh realities of mining life.

After weeks of singing, traveling, and making lifelong memories, the choir concluded their Outback adventure, grateful for the chance to bring their music to the heart of Australia.

The Australian Welsh Male Choir will perform at Gymanfa Ganu at St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne on Saturday, 1st March for St David’s Day.

For more information on the choir, go to www.awmc.org.au.


Pictures: The Australian Welsh Male Choir on their tour of Outback Australia. Credit: facebook.com/AusWelshChoir