The Griffon Choir can certainly pick dates for their concerts, the most recent coinciding with the EU Cup final! In spite of this, a marvellous audience awaited choristers in St. Mary's Church, Tenby, on Sunday, when everyone took part in the opening music, Cwm Rhondda, with Cambridge music student, Andrew Cosworth supporting at the organ.
The Griffon's musical director, Dr. John Harrison, has carried on the choir's tradition of presenting a programme varied enough to surprise and please their listeners. Songs and hymns were of Wales, England, America and Africa - with languages to match, the choir delighted to have Juliet Rossiter with them again at the piano.
John's choice of soloists for the evening demonstrated what a tremendous wealth of talent there is in South Pembrokeshire, St. Mary's Handbell Ringers setting the pattern with the eponymous 'Bells of St. Mary's before playing 'My heart will go on,' from 'Titanic.'
Sarah Benbow's exquisite soprano was accompanied by John at the piano when she added a new dimension to Copland's 'Lord of the Dance,' then with John at the organ and Matthew Birt playing the trumpet, she gave a most moving performance of Burgon's 'Nunc Dimittis.'
Later, Matthew, still at school and a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Wales, had everyone's blood tingling with Jeremiah Clarke's 'Trumpet Voluntary.' More delight was to come when, with John at the organ, Sarah sang Franck's 'Panis Angelicus,' Matthew adding to the moment with a sensitive violin obligato.
There was one more item from Sarah, with Juliet Rossiter's piano accompaniment, and Dvorak's 'Like to a Linden Tree' lifted joyously to the roof.
That roof was at risk when organ, choir and congregation united in Vaughan Williams' arrangement of 'The Old Hundredth' and the recommendation that 'all people on earth should dwell in peace.'