This year the 52nd Annual Concert by Caldicot Male Voice Choir was a resounding success thanks to all the hard work put into it by the choristers over the past few months. A challenging but entertaining programme was put together and included an eclectic mix of music from classical Welsh hymns to songs from the worlds of stage and screen to delight a near capacity Leisure Centre audience of over 400.
The evening was made more special by guest artiste Wynne Evans, one of the country’s leading operatic tenors and who was once well recognised as the operatic Gio Compario of the long running advertising campaign for a well known comparison site. Wynne was accompanied by the highly talented pianist Jane Samuel who regularly plays for Katherine Jenkins and other well known artists. Coincidentally in the choir’s programme was Bring Him Home from Les Misérables, the arrangement of which was written by Jane’s father John Samuel.
Not only these two talented guest artistes but we were pleased to welcome back news reader and BBC Wales presenter Rebecca John who so delighted our audience at last year’s Gala concert. Rebecca’s calm, professional and humorous presentation of our concert has made her a firm favourite of both the choir and the audience.
Welsh language items presented by the choir included Laudamus, Gwahodddiad, Tydi a Roddaist and finally O Gymru in which Wynne Evans joined with the choir.
From the west end stage came ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight ‘ from the Lion King in which Musical Director Siân Hatton delightfully sang the solo while Assistant Musical Director, Shirley Anne James conducted. Siân and her husband David Gould later joined with the choir as the soloists in the spiritual ‘Ride the Chariot’ again conducted by Shirley Ann. The first half concluded with the challenging near 9 minute presentation of ‘Nidaros’ from the Longfellow poem, which is often used as a testing competition piece for choirs. Other items in the second half included Anthem from the musical Chess and the foot tapping Rhythm of Life.
The second half opened with our unique performance of the Battle Hymn of the Republic ‘Mine Eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord’ in which we were delighted to introduce drummer Michael Griffiths, son of chorister Tony Griffiths to play throughout the piece to the accompaniment of Stephen Berry on piano and John Nicholson on keyboard with additional trumpet and organ.
Between the Choir’s performances, Wynne presented sessions which included not only his humorous anecdotes of his family and the world of advertising, appeals to buy the choir’s and his CD recordings but also songs included on his recordings, such as Granada, Be My Love, Shenandoah, With a Song in my Heart and amazingly sung with audience participation – Nessun Dorma and finally ending with his mother’s favourite from The Man from La Mancha, ‘the Impossible Dream’.
Presentations and tributes were made by chairman Mark Stocker to our guest artistes, Rebecca John and the musical team but one presentation surpassed even these. It is becoming a tradition that long serving and deserving choristers who are no longer able to sing with us are presented with a life-time achievement award and conferred as an Honorary Vice President and Siân Hatton together with John Griffiths AM were pleased to present on behalf of the choir these honours to former bass chorister Alan Worwood. It was also announced by Rebecca to his delight, that chorister Gordon Shotton was celebrating his 80th birthday on stage at the concert and by Mark that this was the first concert for newcomer David Woolnough who passed his voice test a month go. For many choristers this was to be their first Annual concert as well. They all did us proud.
Finally, you will remember that the choir sang at the Millennium stadium last year at the Wales – South Africa game and the choir invited Dr Haydn James, musical director of the Welsh Rugby Union as a special guest to the concert. Dr James paid us several compliments and glowing tributes but suggested that we were a little over enthusiastic in our singing of the South Africa National Anthem. We were supposed to be encouraging Wales! He hopes that he can work with us again in the not too distant future. We’ll certainly look forward to that.
Following an enthusiastic rendition of Mae hen wlad fy nhadau, the choir and many of our guest in the audience made their way across the car park to our choir hall for light refreshments and further entertainment in the form of a traditional afterglow in which we were joined not only by Rebecca John (who also sings in the Côr y Gleision choir) but by Dorothy Connell, MD of Barry Male Voice Choir and Judith Thomas, secretary of Côr y Gleision, all of whom expressed a desire to come again. We’ll also look forward to that as well, ladies.
Photographs by Colleen Gauntlett. Left click to enlarge
