Last Sunday's concert (December 1st at Martin Luther Church) by the Toronto Welsh Male Voice Choir was absolutely fabulous. The sound of the men's voices was strong, confident and nuanced. If some of the pieces were new, any hesitation was not noticeable. It really was a marvel to see the choir looking ahead at the conductor and into the audience with the discipline of music performed by heart. The conductor, Mr. Woloschuk, was able to accomplish his vision for each song by having the eyes of the singers focussed on his direction. I loved the phrasing he was able to shape to achieve a polished musical presentation. The order of songs carried the audience on an emotional celebration of the secular and sacred aspects of Christmas. I very much enjoyed how the choir approached the front platform from the back of the church singing "Sleigh Ride". The arrangement of "Mary , Did You Know?" was particularly effective in expressing the immense significance of Jesus' birth. The following "Suo Gan" was an example of the distinctive musical Welsh character in its simplicity and beauty of sound from the men's voices. And so the concert progressed to carry the listeners through tonal landscapes that showcased at times the tenor section, the bass section and various solo voices and added percussion effects. The audience participation carols were gloriously expanded by the choir in arrangements that uplifted well-known melodies. The piano accompanist, Matthew Coons, added sensitive support to the choir in his dynamics at the keyboard and also played well-chosen solos to highlight the Christmas season. The whole afternoon was so joyful and worked to evoke heartfelt appreciative sentiments from the audience who spontaneously gave the choir a standing ovation. The encore piece, "We Rise Again" secured the choir's power to inspire. Thank you for this special gift and may the Toronto Welsh Male Voice Choir prosper in all their future undertakings.