Nominally billed as a concert by Pembroke and District Male Voice Choir, Friday evening at Pembroke Town Hall metamorphosed into an event the like of which has been rarely been seen before by local audiences.

The bare facts first; P&DMVC provide choral services free to all local organisations needing to raise funds for good causes. A need exists though for funds other than subscriptions to run the choir, so once a year they hold a fundraising concert and coffee morning. This year those events were combined into a one evening occasion. A concert (of sorts!) and prior to, and at the interval, a variety of stalls and groaning raffle table, everything freely donated. The choir are truly indebted to their followers and supporters for that amazing generosity. Wives of choristers provided material help in ensuring the smooth running of all facilities.

Entry to the concert was free! Yes; free entry folks to the cultural event of the year! Recognising a bargain when they see one, locals filled the hall and shopped avidly before concert's start and during the interval.

The concert started in a conventional enough fashion, with presenter Phil Lloyd noting 2012 as the choir's 60th year since formation and detailing a number of special events arranged in celebration. He then went on to introduce the hugely popular Owen Jones, now in his 90th year and a member since original formation. Owen finished his song to a spontaneous standing ovation of appreciation by all present, not merely for that service, but for the man himself.

The choir contributed three items, before Joan Lewis and Henry Johnston took us back in time with the Maurice Chevalier song 'Yes I remember it Well'.

After that, matters went culturally downhill, or uphill, depending on your sense of humour! The audience were persuaded to sing 'Old Macdonald's Farm", with George Lewis as the farmer introducing an assortment of the strangest, weirdest animals accompanying each verse, to be seen anywhere. One must salute the bravery (or foolishness!) of choristers volunteering to suffer such indignity in the name of art. The audience, practically helpless with laughter, were very happy to be part of it all. A good period elapsed before order was restored.

Reality returned briefly when the choir sang a special Calon Lan for two in the front row, but there was a return to dis-order when George Lewis, sporting full artist regalia, re-appeared, drawing and colouring madly while the choir sang 'Cyfri'r Geifr'. Does this sort of thing happen in other choirs, we wonder? The interval was a welcome chance for the audience to come back to earth!

Chorister Reg Williams was responsible for making and illuminating boards showing choir membership at the 50-year mark. With his sight not as good as in the past, he admits his latest contribution will probably be his last. Reg's latest presentation to the choir was accepted with grateful thanks by chairman Frank Harries. Owen Jones, too, received a memento of his 60 years service to the choir, from conductor Mrs. Lloyd. Both presentations were accompanied by long and loud applause from all present.

Normality returned when the choir, then Joan and Henry, entertained the audience with a variety of items, but really it was just the calm before the storm, as will be seen.

Phil Thompson and helpers took firm charge of the raffle, a quickfire draw of tickets the method used to get through the huge number of prizes on offer in reasonable time.

Mrs. Lloyd returned to the podium to take her choir through the final number, 'Get me to the Church on Time', an odd choice of song you might think to close such an evening. This was, however, merely the indicator for more mad capers. The Rev. Roger Jones appeared from stage left in full clerical garb with diminutive victim John Marenghi dressed as groom for what appeared to be a wedding.

Some people consider Roger to have followed the wrong calling, because he proceeded to give an acting performance in the following 20 minutes unlikely to be seen bettered in any farce on the West End stage, past or present.

Then, entering stage right, came a veritable mountain of veil and wedding dress silk concealing the demure, virginal, ring-letted, eyelash-fluttering figure of John Kilcoyne. Bridesmaid John Hilier, newly stepped out of the pages of a medieval history book as Joker, completed the scarcely believable jaw-dropping entourage. Chaos ensued: No, chaos hardly describes what followed during the next 20 minutes centred on the act of a wedding ceremony. Roger playing madly to the gallery, claim and wild counter claim by interested parties as to the process legality, the Killer preparing to devour the petrified groom on completion, audience mouths agape with incredulity and laughter. Eat your heart out Brian Rix! Is anyone reading this old enough to know who he was?

We don't know what the audience expected when they came through the doors for a seemingly conventional P&DMVC concert, but this wasn't it, we are absolutely certain! It seemed, though, they all had a great time and it was well worth the entry fee!

When order was restored, the 'blushing bride' made an appeal on behalf of the Gateway Club, Pembroke Dock, stating there would be no compulsion whatever, but look out if there was not a significant amount of money in the collection bucket at evening's end! They took it to heart, too, £200-plus being a heart-warming figure in so short a time.

So, another unconventional concert came to an end for P&DMVC.

The rhetorical question, do events like this happen with other choirs we believe can be answered with a resounding no! No one else would be mad enough surely!

A.S.