Photos by Colleen Gauntlett. Left click on images to enlarge
What better way to start our 50th Anniversary Year than with a concert in our own home town of Caldicot! Almost 60 choristers travelled the short distance from the choir hall in pouring rain to sing to a full house at Caldicot Methodist Church in the town centre to help the church with its fund raising efforts. There has been a Wesleyan presence in Caldicot since 1807 and the present church was built in 1898. Following extensive renovations during the 1970′ s and 80’s, together with the completion of a two storey annexe in 1996, the building is now the most imposing feature of the town centre. If you would like to learn more about Caldicot Methodist Church, please click on Caldicot Methodist Church to take you to their website.
Introduced by long standing supporter, compère and Minister Rev. Preben Andersen and packed into an unfamiliar arrangement of 5 rows and all sporting their new 50th Anniversary ties, the Choir opened with the familiar Cole Porter Medley ‘Another opening, another show’ – and what a show we gave! The choir sang a debut performance of ‘The Music’s Always There With You’, arranged by Stephen Berry and continued with favourites ranging from ‘An Evening’s Pastoral’ through two continents with American and African Trilogies (soloist Jason Dawe), back to Wales with romantic Lleucu Llwyd, inspiring hymns Llanfair and O Iesu Mawr, hopeful Yfory in which a young man is looking forward to returning to Wales to find his loved one, ‘Tomorrow’ and finally O Gymru (soloist Tommy Hole) extolling the virtues of living in Wales – the song doesn’t mention the rain though!
Accompanied throughout the evening by pianists John Nicholson and Stephen Berry (also as organist in American Trilogy and Morte Criste), the choir treated the audience to a mix of varying tempos and styles with the delightful, meaningful hymn ‘He‘, contrasted with the uplifting Easter hymn ‘When I Survey the Wond’rous Cross’ sung to the tune ‘Morte Criste’ and the theme song from Steven Spielberg’s presentation of the Don Bluth cartoon ‘An American Tail’, ‘Somewhere Out There’ and following up with foot tapping Alexander’s Ragtime Band – always a firm favourite. The choir was conducted and songs introduced (precariously from a box) by Musical Director Siân Hatton, who also celebrates 25 years with the choir this year and, from the same lofty position, Assistant Musical Director, Shirley Ann James. Just as well we sang ‘You Raise Me Up’ and there are better ways to go up in the world, girls!
The concert was supported by two wonderful local artists. Harpist John Thomas who regularly played at Caldicot Castle events, held the audience spellbound as he moved effortlessly through a 16th century Italian Dance, Bach’s prelude No.1, a medley of Welsh folk tunes, Dafydd y Garreg Wen, Pié Iesu, I don’t know how to love him, from Jesus Christ Superstar and many others. Well known local soprano Joyce Rickards, another long time friend of the choir, stood in when the planned artist became indisposed, with two pieces; one of which was the nostalgic melody ‘My little homestead on the hill’ and the other ‘Unwaith eto yng Nghymru annwyl – Once again to dear Wales’ both accompanied beautifully by John Thomas on the Welsh harp.
Rev. Andersen closed the evening following extended applause for all participants by praising the quality of the performances, especially the choir. To quote ‘No wonder Wales is known as the ‘Land of Song’ and ‘the memory of this evening will live with me forever’. The choir joined with Rev. Andersen to show appreciation for the hospitality and refreshments provided by church volunteers. The audience and choir left the warmth of the church to face the elements but both continued to be warmed by the fact that they had experienced a truly wonderful evening of music and song.
The Choir is looking forward to continuing its Golden Anniversary with concerts at spectacular venues with a range of new and old songs. The Annual Concert in April promises to be extra special this year at the Leisure Centre in Caldicot so please contact us for tickets. It will be a sell-out! Do not be disappointed by leaving it too late.
Footnote:
We’ve recently developed a habit of going through the wrong door at concerts in churches. This time we nearly joined the Weightwatchers club, but tea and biscuits weren’t on offer so we retreated before we were made to sign up.
Somebody asked ‘why are the first two rows empty?’ The simple answer is that if anyone sat there, they would only hear part of the front row or the piano. We wouldn”t want that, would we?