Photographs taken by Colleen Gauntlett. Please left click on the images to enlarge.
For the past four years Caldicot Male Voice Choir has held a St David’s Day concert at its Choir Hall in Caldicot to raise funds for deserving causes. This year it was pleased to invite local Durand School Choir as its special guests to help the Chairman of Monmouthshire County Council, Mr Jim Higginson’s appeal for The St. David’s Foundation and Tŷ Hafan Trust, a children’s hospice in Sully, near Barry.
Among the invited guests were the Lord Lieutenant of Gwent, Brigadier Robert Aitken CBE, the High Sheriff of Gwent, Mr Anthony John Clay as well as the Mayors of Monmouth, Merthyr CBC and Torfaen and Monmouthshire Councillor Mr Brian Strong.
Over seventy members of Caldicot Male Voice Choir took to the stage on the evening. Conducted by Siân Hatton and Shirley Anne James and accompanied by Stephen Berry and John Nicholson the Choir entertained the capacity audience to a wide mix of choral songs including Welsh items Rachie, Yfory, Aberystwyth, Gwahoddiad, O Gymru (soloist Tommy Hole) and for the first time for many years, the traditional song Bugeilio’r Gwenith Gwyn. Also included were The Rose, The Lord’s Prayer by Schubert, Troyte’s Chant of Eli Jenkins’Prayer as well as songs from the world of film such as On the Street Where You Live from My Fair Lady and The Way We Were from the 1973 film of the same name. The programme also included the rousing spiritual Ride the Chariot featuring soloists Siân Hatton and David Gould.
The School Choir of 25 children delighted the audience with a range of Welsh and English songs, opening with Myfanwy followed by Heno, heno, Calon Lân, Ar Hyd y Nos and Sosban Fach. Included in their programme was Max Boyce favourite, Swansea Town, The Streets of London, My Lighthouse , Somewhere Out There from the animated film An American Tail and finalising with a medley of songs from Abba – Waterloo, Dancing Queen and Mamma Mia which had the audience enthusiastically tapping its feet.
The musical direction and tutelage of Head teacher Allison Waters and the musical staff of Durand School, Deputy Head Mr Anthony Moses, guitarist Mr Will Maragon and pianist, retired Deputy Head, Mrs Marilyn Modget can be rightly proud of their talented young Choir.
This was also the first concert of new recruits second tenor Andy Friedman and two bottom basses Oliver Edwards and Peter Fagan. Well done all, may this be the first of many.