About Us
The Burlington Welsh Ladies Chorus (BWLC) was founded in 2017 with nine members and is affiliated with the Burlington Welsh Male Chorus (BWMC) organization.
Since its founding, the main goal of the Chorus is to provide engaging entertainment for the City of Burlington and beyond. The Chorus has performed at various respected venues throughout the area, including performances at the Atrium of the Royal Botanical Gardens, “Culture Days” in Burlington, Choir Fest, Oakville Performing Arts Centre, and various churches, music venues, and retirement homes.
Retirement and nursing homes present a wonderful opportunity to entertain Burlington residents by demonstrating the power of music therapy. With that in mind, BWLC is honoured to have provided free concerts in various retirement and nursing homes throughout Burlington during our performing seasons, and hope to continue with this rewarding community engagement.
The BWLC, currently boasting 40 members, are a self-funded, not-for-profit charitable organization. BWLC are continuously fundraising as we continue to grow in repertoire, reputation and membership, while having a lot of fun along the way.
We practice on Tuesdays from 7:30P.M. – 9:30 P.M. at St. Matthew on-the-Plains Anglican Church, 126 Plains Road E, Burlington, ON, L7T 2C3. Members are encouraged to arrive between 7:00P.M. – 7:30P.M. so they are ready to start promptly at 7:30P.M. This also allows time for socializing and for opportunities to improve on Welsh pronunciation and other additional learning experiences.
Our 2023-2024 season commences on Tuesday, September 12th, 2023 at St. Matthew on-the-Plains Anglican Church. We hope to see you there!
The BWLC objectives, similar to the BWMC, include:
“Entertainment, education and to increase the public understanding and appreciation of choral singing. We aim to provide performances of an artistic nature in public place, senior citizens homes, churches, community centres and to bring the beauty and therapeutic benefits of music to the community.”
Musical Staff
Music Director: Janice Beninger
Janice Beninger started working with the Burlington Welsh Male Chorus in 2008, and thus began a love affair with the Welsh hwyl—that feeling of deep expression and meaning in traditional welsh singing. This vibrant relationship has continued and expanded as she now also directs the Burlington Welsh Ladies Chorus, which was formed in 2017.
Janice received her MMus from the University of Western Ontario. She has worked in a number of Church Organist/Music Coordinator positions, served as pianist/keyboard player for Symphony Hamilton, and has directed numerous vocal ensembles including community, church, university, and school choirs.
Currently, Janice maintains JBeningerStudio,
an active piano/theory teaching studio in Dundas, Ontario, and performs as
pianist in the concert organ/piano duo, Four Hands Two Feet, with her husband,
Simon Irving.
Accompanist: Christopher Hunt
Christopher Hunt studied at Queen’s University,
and at the University of Reading, England. Since he was a teenager, he has
accompanied countless instrumentalists, singers, and choral groups, on the
piano and the organ. For three decades, Christ taught music history, theory and
conducting at Mohawk College, and for ten years conducted the Mohawk College
Singers. For several summers he enjoyed being a resident pianist at the
prestigious language school at Middlebury, Vermont. Now retired from teaching,
Chris plays the organ and directs the choir at First-Pilgrim United Church in
Hamilton and serves as National Archivist for the Royal Canadian
College of Organists.
Photo credit: Jim Riley
Members of Burlington Welsh Ladies Chorus
First Sopranos
Second Sopranos
Altos
