Tenby Male Choir are coming to the end of their season of performances and finished with a busy week.

On Thursday, September 27 they sang at St Mary’s Church as part of Tenby’s Art Festival Week. They have performed every year that the Arts Festival has taken place. The choir came across from Church House in a record time and were all in place before the audience stopped clapping.

The lively audience enjoyed the varied programme performed by the choir and audience participation was undoubtedly the best of this season. Again there were people from as far away as Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Cypress as well as England and Scotland.

Our MC David Blackmore introduced our Accompanist Jill Williams and MD Ian Williams. Both deserve many thanks for the hard work that they have put into rehearsals and performances throughout the year.

David brought Jill out from behind the piano and pillar to take a bow as during the performance most of the audience can’t see her. Hence my description of her in a previous article as the Lesser Spotted Jill. I had to explain that one to my husband!

The choir sang in English, Welsh and Latin and we were treated to a duet from John Butland and Kevin Morgan during A Working Man.

The choir were joined by a very talented 11 year old pianist. Elizabeth Morgan has performed with the choir on several occasions and always delights the audience.

In March 2018 Elizabeth won a First Place Trophy for her repertoire at the Bristol Festival of music speech and drama. She also gained a distinction in her ABRSM Grade 5 practical exam earlier this year.

She has been taught piano from age 5 by Jan Hartzell, a Royal College Of Music graduate who lives locally. Elizabeth received a standing ovation at the end of both of her performances and there were shouts of ‘Bravo’ for this accomplished young lady. Elizabeth played pieces by Chopin, Mozart, Sibelius and Schubert.

The choir sang again at the wedding of Eddie Stapleton’s granddaughter. Eddie is one of our longest serving choristers having joined the choir in 1979. The wedding took place last Saturday at St Mary’s Church when Zoey Stapleton married Callum Apps.

The bride and bridesmaids looked beautiful and the groom and his men, including two delightful young boys distributing the Orders Of Service, looked very handsome. Eddie and Barbara scrubbed up well for the occasion and it was smiles all round as the choir posed for photos with the happy couple in the sunny churchyard. We all wish the happy couple a bright and sunny future together.

The choir will be travelling to Shrewsbury today (October 5th) where they will perform in a joint concert on Saturday evening with Shrewsbury Police Male Voice Choir to raise money for canal restoration.

Away trips are always great social events and the Afterglow sessions are always entertaining and good fun as the choirs have an informal sing off. Watch out Shrewsbury, Tenby Choir is a force to be reckoned with!

Di Mumford