Last week we took part in the increasingly popular Tenby Arts Festival.

Our concert was held in St. Mary's Church to a capacity audience and the concert finished with a wonderful standing ovation by the appreciative and enthusiastic audience.

There are just some nights for any performers and audiences when everything gels and this was one of those. It was a concert which started well with our popular opening song 'Divine Brahma' by Bizet from 'The Pearl Fishers' and with excellent feedback by the audience it just got better and culminated in that standing ovation to the delight of the choir.

A big thank you goes to the audience who played such a part in making it a great evening.

Chris Sierwald, speaking on behalf of the Arts Festival Committee, said that they felt that we had surpassed ourselves this year and that the standing ovation was very well deserved.

Chris went on to say: "The Arts Festival Committee considers the choir to be the heart of the festival. Many people ask when enquiring about the festival whether we have a male voice choir. We are pleased to say that the concert has left us with a substantial surplus on the night to provide funds for next year's festival."

Unfortunately our photographer didn't get a photo of the standing ovation, so I've had to employ a modicum of literary licence to depict this!

Hannah Lowe, accompanied by her mother Sian, as usual delivered two delightful violin pieces starting with the beautifully romantic 'The Lovers' Waltz' by Jay Ungar and followed by 'Czardas' the traditional Hungarian folk song by Vittorio Monti.

Our principal soloist Paul Varallo was also on top form singing three songs from his growing multi-lingual repertoire. Paul sang 'Stars' from Les Miserables, his very popular Torna a Surriento in Italian. To conclude, Paul sang 'Ideale' by Tosti, another stirring Italian song.

By the time this article appears we will also have held a concert for the benefit of the Red Cross charity and I will give a full report on that next week.

Following the Red Cross concert, our next and final local concert in this year's programme is a joint concert with the celebrated Goodwick Brass Band. Last month the band took first place in the UK National Brass Band Championship (Section 2).

This final concert takes place at the superbly rebuilt Regency Hall in Saundersfoot, so there are three big reasons not to miss this.

It is a chance to see one of the best male voice choirs in Wales, the best brass band in Britain and Saundersfoot's 'Jewel in the Crown', the impressive Regency Hall itself.

The concert takes place on Friday, October 18, at 8 pm.

The Regency Hall enquiries number is 01834 811700.

We will have rehearsals on Tuesday and Thursday next week and visitors or potential new members are always welcome to come and watch.

There is also information about the choir on our website http://www.tenbymalechoir.org">www.tenbymalechoir.org and a Facebook account (just do an internet search for Tenby Male Choir Facebook) or you can get more information on anything about the choir on 01834 813198.

A.G.K.