At the first meeting of the new year last Friday evening, Tenby Arts Club was transported to a desert island where Nick Hockenhull had been stranded. As the sun rose, the Union Jack was hoisted by the unfortunate castaway who chose Aaron Copeland's 'Fanfare for the Common Man' to start his day in solitary state. To boost his courage and reflecting his interest in all things maritime from the age of 10, Nick chose Henry Wood's Fantasia on British Sea Songs with its happy memories of the last night of the Proms. The eager participation of the audience in the chorus and the general air of merriment must have given great encouragement to the lonely outcast. In quieter mood, the final variation of the last movement of Christopher Headington's Violin Concerto produced an excerpt of modern music in unusual mode, expressively performed by Xue-Wei, the Chinese violinist. Perhaps representing the darker moments of his isolation, Nick chose an evocative ballad sung by Bobby Darin, 'Softly as I leave you'. This certainly tugged at the heartstrings and brought to mind sad times in the past. Childhood memories of church services and visits to the cinema, as well as an interest in organs generally, prompted Nick to include a piece from Lloyd Webber's 'Sunset Boulevard' played by Robert Wolfe on a cinema organ. A fan of jazz from his youth made 'Bugle Call Rag' a must in his selection of discs, reminding Nick of Chris Barber and Humphrey Lyttleton, heroes of his younger days. Parry's anthem 'I was Glad', with its glorious range of voices resounding in the vast space of a cathedral, brought to mind the dignity of coronations and other stately occasions and the appeal for help to a higher authority. In his isolated situation the stranded traveller must have had moments of desperation and these were reflected in the music of Gerald Finzi's Concerto for Cello and Orchestra where, in the second movement, there seems to be an undercurrent of despair and hopelessness. However, towards sunset, as the castaway prepares his fish supper, he spies a ship on the far horizon. Could it be HMS Tenby! Rule Britannia prevailed! Our hero would be rescued, much to the relief and joy of the audience. The Rev. Dewi Bridges gave a vote of thanks to Nick Hockenhull for his hard work in providing a splendid evening for the club. Today (Friday), Margaret Acors will take members along the Silk Road of Central Asia, to which all are welcome.