Tenby Male Choir enjoyed a superb afternoon on Sunday, when about 80 choristers, wives, friends, vice presidents etc. gathered for their annual lunch at the Fourcroft Hotel. They were all delighted to welcome their president, Roy Noble, and his wife, Elaine, to the event. Ken Fryer was 'master of ceremonies' for the afternoon, which began convivially in the lounge and bar area until lunch was served at about 1 pm. An excellent meal was enjoyed, after which, Ken allowed for a 'comfort break' before coffee and speeches. Ken paid compliments to the choristers, the committee, the MD and accompanist, but especially to 'the ladies' who encourage and support the choristers so much. Chairman of the choir, Eric Mullins, then spoke about the dedication and commitment of the choir, and about the exciting year ahead. He particularly mentioned the heavy schedule of concerts planned, which begins over the Festival of Daffodils at St. Johns Church and which culminates in the tour to Italy in October, when the choir, accompanied by many followers, will sing in Florence and Sienna. Eric also thanked the men for their wholehearted support for the Choir of Gentlemen Concert which takes place at Haverfordwest on May 7. This concert, spearheaded by Christine, the choir MD, and Jill, their accompanist, will involve about 150 male voices and is raising funds for Withybush Hospital. It has already aroused a great deal of interest in Pembrokeshire and beyond the county, and although requiring additional ongoing rehearsals for Tenby Male Choir, is seen as a prestigious event which will attract a very large audience. After Eric had welcomed Roy and his wife, he presented them with a beautifully wrapped basket of root vegetables! This was an 'in-house' joke, but was appreciated by all present. Roy, in his response to the invitation to speak, had his audience laughing after almost every sentence he spoke. His wonderfully warm, natural manner of speaking, and his witty, observant sense of humour which is a commentary on Welsh culture and life, makes him an excellent after-dinner speaker. It was very good to know that Roy will compare the Choir of Gentleman Concert in May. He told the audience many amusing stories about his work, his old acquaintances and old haunts, which were so enjoyable that no-one wanted him to sit down. The ladies in the room were all presented with a gift and then, after the raffle, most moved towards the bar and lounge again, where they had several hours of entertainment with community singing accompanied by Jill at the piano. The choir's performance at the concert for the Tsunami Appeal at St. Mary's last week helped to raise the £900 mentioned in last week's Observer, and as pointed out in the article about the annual general meeting, was the type of occasion, when Tenby Male Choir contributed their services to a concert, but were unable to include any figure to their charitable fund-raising total. In 2005, Tenby Male Choir includes in their programme, concerts for St. Johns Church Gymanfa Ganu and Easter Concert, Christian Aid, Pembs. WI, Tenovus, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Tenby Sea Cadets and ATC, Leukaemia Research, Tenby Arts Festival and two concerts for the RNLI amongst their charitable work, as well as singing a few concerts, including harbour concerts, to raise funds to pay their musical expenses etc. All look forward to a very busy, happy year.
