Hundreds of male voices from around the country will sing loud and proud at the WIN Entertainment Centre for a mass congregation of male choirs this Sunday.
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This is the first time the Male Choirs Association of Australia has chosen to take their festival outside of a major capital city, this year hosted by the Arcadians Lamplighters.
The three-day event culminates in Let All Men Sing, where all participating will sing en masse a program of 13 songs of varying genres and accompanied by the NSW Police Concert Band plus others.
Treasurer, and member of the Lamplighters, Dave Bryars said nearly 400 blokes from 14 choirs were taking part including a guest choir from New Zealand.
“If you haven't been to hear a mass choir to sing before, it is something special. We’re so delighted they've allowed Wollongong to have this honour and if we do it really well perhaps [the event] can come back,” he said.
When we were growing up, singing for a man or a boy was a bit suss but now there’s a lot of people doing it.
- Dave Bryars
The Lamplighters choir was founded in 1999 by Mr Bryars’ wife Doreen with the group now becoming a male haven.
“It’s almost a men’s shed. Doreen is reasonably strict but lets them have a bit of fun as well so we always look forward to a break and a chat,” Mr Bryars said.
“When we were growing up, singing for a man or a boy was a bit suss but now there’s a lot of people doing it.”
Some of the choirs include the Australian Rugby Choice, The Con Men and the Melbourne Welsh Male Choir. While combined rehearsals have taken place in Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney in preparation for the event.
Other special guests at the concert are The String Family – the Moir family who left Mount Kembla for life busking on the road, conductor of the Sydney Male Choir Keiren Brandt-Sawdy, conductor of the Australian Welsh Male Choir Tom Buchanan and pianist Emily Leong.
Half of all proceeds from the concert will go towards prostate cancer research.
Let All Men Sing concert, WIN Entertainment Centre, Sunday October 15, 2pm.
Tickets via www.ticketmaster.com.au