Following a joint St David’s Day concert at St Francis Xavier Church in Hereford earlier in the year, Saturday 13th September saw a return when Caldicot Male Voice Choir invited Hereford Police Male Voice Choir to perform in a reciprocal concert at Caldicot Choir Hall.
Caldicot Male Voice Choir, opening with ‘California Dreamin’, featuring flautist Nigel Keen presented a wide range of items in its new 10 song programme including favourite, ‘This is the Moment’ from the musical Jekyll and Hyde and a premiere of newly learned ‘Safwn yn y Bwlch’. Conducted by Musical Director Sian Hatton and Assistant Musical Director Shirley Anne James, accompanied by Olivia Dance and John Nicholson, the choir also premiered at the hall new items ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen and the Ryan Davies song ‘Pan Fo’r Nos yn Hir’. Caldicot’s second half opened with Bob Dylan’s ‘Make You Feel My Love’ with Nigel Keen on flute and choir hall premieres of ‘Days’ first recorded by the Kinks and ‘Only You’, the hit by The Flying Pickets, arranged by John Nicholson.
Hereford Police Male Voice Choir, conducted by Alison Houlbrooke and accompanied by Simon Penberdy were pleased to present a varied programme which opened with ‘World in Union’ and included ‘Working Man’ with soloist Steve Murphy, the Bizet composition ‘Divine Brahma’ and ‘African Trilogy’ featuring a unique accompaniment by Jespa Bojang on a jembe African drum. The second half performance of five songs opened with a ‘Tom Jones Medley’ followed by the poignant ‘Bui Doi’ from the musical Miss Saigon which tells of abandoned Vietnamese children after the war and included the Amanda McBroom song ‘The Rose’ with soloist Rob Bowen, finalising with the foot tapping ‘Rhythm of Life’.
Conducted by Alison Houlbrooke, both choirs combined on stage to sing ‘Morte Criste’ by Isaac Watts and the concert finalised with Sian Hatton conducting ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ from the musical Carousel’, greatly appreciated by the full house audience.
The concert ended with the presentation by Caldicot’s chairman Graham Hughes of a hand-made, framed slate plaque to Hereford chairman Ray Williams.
