A combined concert at Tenby between the town's male choir and the Australian Welsh Male Voice Choir last month proved particularly emotional for one chorister from 'Down Under'. Making a return visit to his home town less than two years after the death of his mother, well-known Tenby woman, Mrs. Olwen Dickinson, was her eldest son Tony, who resides with his wife Joan and family near Melbourne. During the concert, Tony, a longstanding member and compere for his choir, was able to pay a moving tribute to her. For, as he explained to the audience at St. Mary's Church - among them his brother Neil and sister-in-law, Alison - during a previous visit to Tenby, he had asked his mother to write down her thoughts and feelings about her native Wales. This she did in the form of a charming poem, which has now been set to music by the Australian choir's conductor, Anne Credlin, who joined with Tony in performing a delightful duet of the composition, titled 'Wales my Country'. The words follow below: Wales my country, land of my birth, To me there is nowhere, just like it on earth. With its hills and its valleys and rivers that flow, All through the green country, its beauty to show. Its old ancient castles, towering above, constantly remind me of the country I love. Its fine mountain passes, a sight to behold, These beautiful things worth much more than gold. I am proud of my country and so I should be, It's a privilege to live in the land of the free. It was an emotional moment for Tony and Neil and one that their mother would no doubt have been proud of.
