Manorbier is once again the focus for a season of music and the spoken word. The stunning success of productions in Manorbier for the last two years (remember Under Milk Wood and the Lynx Brass Quintet) has led to a demand from audiences for a longer season this year.

St. James Church, on the hill overlooking the beach, is the venue for a monthly series of concerts from June to August, with the Grand Finale Gala Concert at Castlemead Hotel in September.

The concerts vary widely in style, from male voices to chamber music, mixed choir to original wickedly funny poetry, orchestral works to operatic divas. Some pleasures for every taste.

The first concert, next Tuesday, June 25, will be given by the Whitland and District Male Voice Choir.

Whitland Choir has been in existence to 1922 and its members are drawn from a wide catchment area embracing Whitland, Clunderwen, Narberth, Llanboidy and others.

The choir has taken part in many competitions throughout the years and has been successful at national and semi-nationals levels. A large number of concerts are given regularly, many of which are for charitable causes.

Some of the venues the choir have performed at are: St. David's Hall, Cardiff, St. David's Cathedral, Savoy Hotel, London, and the Royal Albert Hall - 1000 Voices. Concerts have also been given abroad in Apeldoorn, The Hague, Holland, Brittany, Austria (Vienna City Hall) and at the Cork Festival in Ireland. The choir have also taken part in Caniedydd Y Cysegr BBC Cymru and Dechrau Canu, Dechrau Cannol for S4C.

Their programme next week will include well-loved Welsh songs like 'Myfanwy', 'Take me Home' from Les Miserables and 'Rev. Eli Jenkins Evening Prayer' from Under Milk Wood, as well as splendid soloists.

Their warm harmonies are directed by Juliet Rossiter.

The July concert on Saturday, 16th, is given by the Morfa Madrigal Choir from Carmarthen. Advertised as 'Madrigals and Much More,' this is a choir of mixed voices singing a wide variety of music. The choir was formed in 1992 by Maureen Chapman, a talented professional musician from Norfolk, now living near Carmarthen. She felt there was a need for a good small mixed choir in the area who could perform both sacred and sSecular music.

Maureen trained at Trinity College of Music in London in voice, piano and organ and worked as teacher and performer, singing for the Royal Family in Sandringham. She has been musical director for many choirs and opera companies from Kings Lynn to Cardigan, performing grand opera, Gilbert and Sullivan operetta and modern musicals such as Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Oklahoma'.

On July 16, her choir will perform madrigals, negro spirituals, some sacred music and music from G and S and the musicals.

August brings chamber music and poetry on a date yet to be announced - please look for the advertisements

The Bluestone Ensemble, Sue Howley, piano, Isobell Jones, violin/viola, Kyle Paterson, cello, have invited Tenby's own Louise Haines to join them on clarinet. Louise is known as the Rotary Club's Young Musician of the Year and is a scholarship student for the Royal Academy of Music, to start in September this year.

Louise has given many recitals and also performs as a soloist with the award-winning Greenhill Orchestra.

Sue and Isobell both trained at the Welsh School of Music and Drama in Cardiff. Sue worked with the WNO, is a lecturer in the Performing Arts Department of Pembrokeshire College and works as a teacher of voice and piano. Isobell is a peripatetic strings teacher for Pembrokeshire and is leader of the Preseli Orchestra which she conducts.

Their programme will include the Mozart Kegelstatt Trio and three pieces from Schindlers List by John Williams.

Poetry is brought in by several local performers, including original items by poet Diana Jones with her wickedly funny observations on relationships.

The Gala Concert, the finale to the season, will be held in a marquee in the grounds of Castlemead Hotel. A champagne reception, posh frocks and bow ties will enhance the celebrations.

The amazing award-winning young musicians of the Greenhill Orchestra, under the baton of Paul Rapi, will delight the audience with music that includes Beethoven, Holst, Sibelius and John Williams.

After the interval, principals from Opera Teifi sing solos and ensemble work from Strauss, Lehar, Gilbert and Sullivan and Ifor Novello, and shows such as 'Fiddler on the Roof', 'Les Miserables' and 'Phantom of the Opera'.

Tickets for the three concerts in St. James Church cost only £5 (concessions £4).

Tickets for the Gala Concert at Castlemead cost £12.50 (no concessions). All concerts start at 7.30. Information and tickets can be obtained by ringing these telephone numbers: 01834 871464, 871733, 871771 871358,

Any profits from these concerts will aid the restoration of St. James Church, Manorbier.