REVIVAL OF WELSH CHOIR IN WELLINGTON

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 49, 31 May 1940, Page 47

REVIVAL OF WELSH CHOIR IN WELLINGTON

~ Reg. Morgan Gets Busy EVEN years ago it was recognised that S Wellington had the finest Welsh choir in New Zealand; but, during the last few years, the choir has almost vanished. Reg. Morgan of 2ZB returned from Sydney about 18 months ago; he had heard about the Welsh choir here, and was anxious to meet the choir. He was choirmaster to 130 girls in Sydney, and his experience is profound and varied. However, when he attended some of the meetings it was pointed out to him that someone was needed to restore the members’ enthusiasm. Reg. was approached with requests to organise the choir. and after he accepted the position of Choirmaster, things began to take shape. Reg. is a Welshman; born in Abertillery. He .is very musical, and listeners are no doubt familiar with his session " Songs at the Piano" heard from 2ZB, on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3.30 p.m. and on Wednesdays at 4.15 p.m. The Welsh have always had a reputation of being a musical race, and the Welsh of to-day maintain that reputation, The choir held a first meeting on May 14, when there was an attendance of some 30 members, It is Reg.’s intention to bring the membership up to 80 or 100; the choir will not be confined to people of Welsh extraction only, but to all those, especially young folk, who are interested in music and choral work generally, : It is intended that the choir shall go on the air from ZB stations. " At the present time we have a session of English music, one of Irish, and one of Scottish music, but no Welsh," says Reg. Morgan. "But Welsh people are devoted to singing; their folk and popular songs are generally either rhythmically or touchingly melodious. I want ZB listeners to have the benefit of hearing some of our music." Reg. has conducted choirs practically all his life; at the age of fifteen, when still at school at Gellicrug, he was choirmaster to

fifty boys, at the college. He recalls the days at Gellicrug when the boys used to carry a portable organ up the mountain side to practise their singing in the open air. As a nation, Wales is particularly active in choral singing; as far back as 1188, Gerald of Wales claimed that his people sang "not in unison, but in many different parts." The choral singing movement ate tained great impetus in the nineteenth cen+ tury. Féstivals have for some years been a conspicuous feature of the musical life of Wales. The oldest is that of Harlech. It is held in the castle annually with about 20 choirs taking part, making 1,800 to 2,000 voices in all. When questioned as to whether he has ever won an Eisteddfod, Reg. very modestly

admits that he has won such recognition about thirty times! This is perhaps not surprising when it is learned that he comes from an inherently musical family. His aunt was the finest contralto in Wales, his uncle at the present time has the distinction of being one of Wales’ foremost organists, and Reg.’s mother also had great musical ability. His childhood was surrounded by music, and Reg. had to go fifteen miles. each week to music lessons. His teacher, King Proctor by name, was accepted at that time as one of the most exacting teachers in Wales. The Commercial Broadcasting Service looks forward to presenting to listeners, through the work of Reg. Morgan and the Welsh choir, a pleasing entertainment which should gain high favour in musical circles.