The 2019 annual tour by Whitland and District Male Choir was another barnstorming success, both musically and socially.

Two coachloads of choristers and supporters made the long journey to Huntingdon near Cambridge for a weekend of top-class singing, companionship and fun.

The weekend had been planned to include concerts at the magnificent Ely Cathedral and with Huntingdon Male Voice Choir in St Ives, Cambridgeshire.

On arrival at the choir’s hotel, the Marriott in Huntingdon, the choristers discovered the Zimbabwe Diaspora Health Alliance Cancer Support Network was holding its gala inaugural event at the hotel and the Whitland men were immediately invited to honour the occasion by singing the rousing Welsh hymn Rachie at the dinner.

The singing was very enthusiastically received and the audience responded by singing Happy Birthday to veteran chorister Hubert Phillips who was celebrating his birthday that day!

Ely Cathedral – in the country’s second smallest city (after St Davids) – is vast and magnificent and was started in the 12th century.

The entire building was filled to capacity on the Saturday morning for the Cathedral’s annual Christmas Gift and Food Fair at which the Choir had been invited to sing.

In fact, the Choir understands it was the first Male Choir performance in the Cathedral in living memory and the large audience was won over by the mixture of songs like When the Saints Go Marching In and Hafan Gobaith, hymns like Rachie and Gwahoddiad and the rousing Amen (This little light of mine) which closed the programme to loud and prolonged applause.

Under the direction of Choir Musical Director Hefina Jones and accompanied by Owain Lewis, the Choir sang on the steps of the High Altar in the Chancel and delighted in the magnificent acoustics.

The soloist Martyn Davies gave a beautiful and touching rendition of Annwylyd Mair.

The joint concert with Huntingdon Male Voice Choir in All Saint’s Church, St Ive’s was given to a capacity audience.

Both choirs sang songs from their own repertoire and joined together to sing Anthem from the show ‘Chess’, Mansions of the Lord and Robat Arwyn’s Benedictus.

The Whitland Choir gave a mixed and entertaining programme ranging from Tell My Father, God’s Choir and Siyahamba to O Gymru, We’ll Keep a Welcome and Anfonaf Angel and they brought the house down with their ever-popular version of Monty Python’s Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.

There was even more singing later that eveningas the choristers enjoyed the ‘afterglow’ in the hotel, whose other customers were greatly entertained.

The rest of the weekend included a sightseeing tour of Cambridge and Cardiff Bay and an evening of cabaret provided by the choir members who were exhibiting skills that the rest of the party had not expected.

There will be a chance to see some of these talents – and many more - at a special fun evening in Llanboidy Market Hall on Saturday, December 14.

The two coaches arrived back on the Monday evening with tired but happy travellers all looking forward to the next tour in 2020, which will be part of the Choir’s 125 Anniversary celebrations.