By Burlington Welsh Male Chorus

Are you desperately in need of stress relief after two seemingly endless years of COVID?  Here’s a not-so-well-known fact. You can SING your way to better physical and mental health. Did you know that there are at least 10 ways in which singing in a group can benefit your health?

1. It relieves stress.

2. It stimulates your immune system.

3. It can improve your pain tolerance.

4. It may improve your snoring!! 

5. It can help you breathe more comfortably if you have chronic bronchitis, emphysema or asthma (or have been infected with COVID).

6. It can help you develop a sense of connectivity and group belonging.

7. It can enhance memory, even if you have mild dementia.

8. It can help you cope better with grief and personal loss.

9. It can help you fight anxiety and depression.

10. It can help improve your public speaking abilities.

Interested in giving it a try? The Burlington Welsh Male Chorus (BWMC) was established in June 2001, under the musical direction of Lyn Harry, former director of the renowned Morriston Orpheus Male Choir of South Wales (Swansea) and the London Welsh Male Voices Choir in London, England. The BWMC is composed of men who like to sing and enjoy performing. Few are soloists, fewer still can read music and fewer than half speak Welsh. Most of us learn the Welsh lyrics phonetically. Over the years, membership has grown from the 23 choristers who performed at the inaugural St. David’s Day concert in 2002, to the present day complement of 65 active singers. The magnificent sound produced by the Chorus has been achieved by learning to sing in tight four-part harmony, a tradition promoted by the world-famous all-male choirs of Wales. Our 2022 annual concert is scheduled to take place at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. on May 4. Tickets are available through the box office.

The Burlington Welsh Chorus is well known, both nationally and internationally, having toured extensively, both at home and abroad. These memorable trips have included performances in:

  • The Cayman Islands, Feb. 2003
  • Ontario Gymanfa Ganu Gala Concert, Apr. 2004
  • Canada v. Wales rugby match, June 2005, performing both national anthems.
  • Great Britain Tour, Oct. 2006, culminating in an appearance at the London Welsh Festival of Massed Male Choirs at the Royal Albert Hall in London. We have been invited to perform again at the Royal Albert Hall in the Spring of 2024.
  • U.S. Tour, Sept. 2008, culminating in a massed choir performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
  • U.S. Tour, Oct. 2010
  • Montreal, Oct. 2011
  • New Brunswick and Nova Scotia Tour, Oct. 2013
  • Washington, D.C., concert and performance of national anthems at Wales v. South Africa rugby match, June 2018

For a complete list, visit https://burlingtonwelsh.com/calendar/calendar_past.html

Following in the footsteps of the Burlington Welsh Male Chorus, the Burlington Welsh Ladies’ Chorus (BWLC) was founded in early 2017 with nine members. It now has 30 members, and new members are always welcome!  BWLC rehearses on Tuesdays from 7:30–9:30 p.m. at West Plains United Church, 543 Plains Road West, Burlington.

Burlington Welsh Male Chorus meets every Friday evening, from 8–10 p.m., at the Burlington Music Centre. Here is a wonderful opportunity to improve your vocal skills and to meet some interesting people along the way. We sing folk songs, spirituals, popular tunes, Broadway musicals, operatic choruses and traditional hymns. What have you got to lose? Besides, you are already probably familiar with much of what we sing. Check us out as www.burlingtonwelsh.com