Photographs by Colleen Gauntlett. Left click on images to enlarge.
The Choir’s chosen charities this year are ‘Sparkle’ a Newport based charity which supports severely disabled children from Newport and parts of Torfaen and Monmouthshire to lead more rewarding lives and local Caldicot youngster Annalese Gosling who suffers from a severe genetic disease known as FOP. Sparkle is based at the Serennu Childrens’ Centre in High Cross and provides services such as specialised equipment, a hydrotherapy pool and other services to help those suffering from autism and other educational needs.
Annalese’s condition known as Fibrodisplasia Officans Progressiva means that if she suffers any soft tissue damage the repair is formed from bone and this progressive disease means that her body is encased in a second skeleton. The Choir is trying to raise sufficient funds to buy her a purpose built bed to make her more secure.
Many events are planned to support the charities and the choir has started a new initiative to hold Annual concerts at the choir hall on St David’s Day. Last year this event raised £1060 for The Teenage Cancer Trust and this year’s concert and supporting events have so far raised nearly £1100.
The Choir’s performance of about 60 members delighted the near full house with arrangements as varied as Llanfair, May You Always Have a song, You Raise Me Up, O Gymru, Laudamus., Rachie, She, Eli Jenkins’Prayer, The Pearl Fisher’s Duet among many others. Many thanks go to Shirley Anne James for conducting the choir so expertly and to Stephen Berry and John Nicholson who as always, perfectly accompanied us on piano.
A short presentation and expression of thanks was given gratefully by Lisa Pearson, Business Development Manager of Sparkle who said she was amazed by the quality of our singing and our generosity in giving up our time to put on a wonderful concert in aid of the two deserving causes.
The choir was ably supported, despite suffering from a chest infection by local singer Andrew Merrett who gave fine versions of Working Man and The Answer made famous by David Alexander, Tom Jones’ I’ll Never Fall in Love Again’. In part two he followed up with swing numbers Let There be Love and Mac the Knife and bravely finishing his performance with Bring Him Home from Les Miserables. Many thanks for your generous support, freely given, Andrew.
Many thanks also to our charity event and concert sponsors, Hire One, Reliance and CMD.