Traditionally, Pembroke and District Male Voice Choir has a concert around St David’s Day and this year the setting was one of Pembrokeshire’s finest places of worship, the magnificent Monkton Priory – at the invitation of Pembroke’s Mayor, Councillor Dennis Evans.
Added bonus this year was that there were two choirs staging – the recent links ups with the Serendipity Ladies Choir continuing, the common denominator being that Juliet Rossiter is Musical Director of both.
Juliet conducted 17 items, 11 by the men and six by the ladies, plus a joint rousing ending of ‘Syahamba’ and, of course, the National Anthem.
The Mayor welcomed choirs and audience and at the interval introduced David Evans from Paul Sartori Foundation who spoke on the work of the charity. There was a special welcome for Serendipity’s new accompanist, Heather Williams, who was playing at her first concert with the ladies. Matthew John, Male Voice MC, kept the programme flowing in fine style.
The Male Voice programme included Welsh favourites and two newly learned pieces, ‘Amen’ and ‘He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother’. For ‘American Trilogy’ they were joined by two recent recruits, Gareth Lewis and Eliot Baron, and by four others who were all in the audience. The ladies’ items included ‘The Rose’, ‘Carrick Fergus’ and the very jolly ‘Lollypop’ made famous in the 1950s by The Chordettes.
Thanks were expressed by the Mayor and flowers were presented to the musical team of Juliet, Heather and Carole Rees, accompanist to the male voice.
Next Male Voice concert will be on Tuesday, March 28 at Pisgah Chapel, Cresselly, which was postponed in December due to weather conditions