Irish Choir Perth

The recent lockdown back in April didn’t seem to throw Perth into the panic of previous episodes. We were calmer, we were more prepared and altogether more accepting of the circumstance. This maturity was neatly demonstrated in a recent Whatsapp chat between members of the Irish Choir Perth. Over the previous year, this group chat has been a place of wonderful support – checking in with each other and making sure everyone had what they needed, sharing music and distracting memes. However, with this more accepting attitude to lockdown one topic dominated and was debated with extreme passion: Tea. Predictable perhaps, and certainly we lived up to one of our stereotypes, but one innocent question ‘Where can I find Lyons tea in Perth’ led to a conversation that was still raging several hours later. There were a few jokes about the Safe WA app and lockdown rules – the app doesn’t know what you are shopping for, followed by a genuine defense of various tea brands, Barry’s from the Cork girls naturally, a good few Lyons fans, Twinnings Irish breakfast at a push, one admission of a Yorkshire Tea, and a surprise entry with Dilmah loose leaves – very posh! Memories at times made us laugh out loud – “I’m pretty sure my mother put weak tea in a bottle for me as a child with sugar”, “Tea so strong you could trot a mouse on that/trot a horse on that/put hairs on your chest”. It ended with a envious chorus at a photo of a Michael D Higgins tea cosy. Messages finally closed at 23:02 – I think at some point wine had to be opened and obviously the kettle was on throughout. Jokes aside, it was telling that during times of crisis the Irish Choir Perth community always turns to each other for support (and a guaranteed giggle). As time goes by and new members come along, this group only gets stronger.

WE LOVE NEW MEMBERS, AND (LOCKDOWNS ASIDE), WE WELCOME NEW FACES THROUGHOUT THE TERM. COME GIVE IT A TRY ON WEDNESDAYS, 7PM AT THE IRISH CLUB OF WA IN SUBI. FOLLOW US ON SOCIALS @IRISHCHOIR