Chapels similar to the Tabernacle, Pembroke, remind one of Dr Who and his Tardis. Where a building site favours it, what the visitor often sees from the outside in no way reflects the actual internals. The worshipping area is often matched and sometimes exceeded in size by basement rooms or extensions.

Across Wales, during the heyday of chapel building, officials had considerations other than worship in mind. Often they became places of further education, especially in the valleys where publicly provided facilities were rare or non-existent before the First World War. Many a coal miners' son avoided the fate of his father and went on to higher education by benefiting from those unseen facilities.

The Tabernacle has similar huge rooms hidden from public view, maybe built with similar aims, but as congregations reduced significantly these fell into partial dis-use. Lately, however, they are being adopted for many a different purpose, child playgroups or nurturing centres, for example. And they are a very valuable resource to communities where lack of money restricts county council outlay on provisions similar.

But these days of course the condition of facilities broadly acceptable years ago are quite unacceptable today. Kitchens, toilets, building condition, insulation; all must conform to higher standards than was the case heretofore.

The Tabernacle have plans for a complete (and hugely expensive!) refurbishment of the chapel and rooms which was basically why Pembroke and District Male Voice Choir were there for the concert. It is one of their favourite chapels, too, though far from conducive to arranging a large choir below the pulpit as temporary Marshal Phil Lloyd discovered. Knit one, purl one, it was no easy task!

The concert was notable, too, for other surprises. David Farmer, former chorister 17 years hence, now working and living in Ystalyfera, took the opportunity while his wife took a short break in Lanzarote, to travel all the way to Pembroke to listen to the choir, and to join them in an item familiar to him. Now; some mice play entirely different games when the cat's away as is known. David chose to come to listen to P&DMVC. Heart-warming that, don't you think?

Our president, Mr. Phil Thompson, was present too. He was put to essential work piano humping as required.

Only slightly later we had a visit from another former chorister. Tom (The Hair) Evans, currently working in Russia teaching. No introduction necessary for aficionados of P&DMVC here surely related to that young man?

This time, though, he brought with him a delightful young lady from that country (Siberia we believe, but we stand to be corrected), Masha Sibirykova, to listen to his former choir. One wonders what she made of it! Tom also joined the choir for one item.

Too much going on to mention the concert nearly, but we should we imagine?

Kathryn Harries for the Tabernacle made the pre-concert introductions, Chris Lloyd clambered on her rostrum and away to go with the choir's first items.

A quite splendid duet, Joan Lewis and Owen Jones followed, 'Life's Dream is O'er'. Both on top form and acting the parts too!

Henry Johnson made a fine contribution to proceedings, 'Where'er You Walk' being his item, before the choir returned. (The temporary stage made this a careful and slow operation!)

A congregational hymn gave the audience a chance to give voice, the choir following with a further three, before Joan Lewis returned to sing 'People Need the Lord'. Any listener would immediately realise that the words in the title express exactly her own personal feelings, for her interpretation, emotion and expressiveness were just perfect.

In deference to Margaret Powell, present in the audience, Chris Lloyd added 'Gwahoddiad', before the choir completed three final items to bring the concert to a close.

The choir hope Alyson Griffiths and David Thomas recover from their respective illnesses soon.

The choir are going to Gorseinon today (Friday) at the request of former Vicar of Monkton Church, Martin Cox.

Linda Gibbs closed and thanked the choir, before inviting all and sundry to a scrum down tea and buns in the (very confined!) back room. Tony Ward, chairman, voiced the choir's thanks.

A.S.