Tenby Male Choir – On the boardwalk

Last week was a week of three different performances demonstrating the variety and our versatility in the events we now do. On Tuesday evening 11^th August we held our first outdoor concert on the new decking down at Saundersfoot harbour which proved to be a really good venue with a large audience. People were not only on the decking itself but also around the railings of the harbour in a sort of amphitheatre scenario. Then back to formality on Thursday at St. Mary’s church for a concert in aid of the Red Cross and then on the Saturday, 12 of the choir took their turn in a series of “a capella” performances we are doing as “the Specsavers choir” in aid of the Welsh Deaf Rugby Union cause. This one took place in Cardigan with the next one being in Haverfordwest tomorrow (Saturday).

The point is often made that singing can be good for your health and wellbeing so it was good to see a few faces from the Saundersfoot medical centre in the audience for the concert which took place on the new decking at Saundersfoot harbour. Perhaps the message could go back to recommend prescribing “singing to be taken with a glass of liquid twice a week”. Choir founder member Tom Pearce can be seen with the lovely background of Saundersfoot harbour.

The Red Cross concert was once again enhanced by trumpet soloist Corey Morris accompanied on piano by Dr. John Harrison BEM, organist of St. Mary’s church. Corey’s performances are always well received by the audience. His command of the instrument on both classical and lighter melodies is very enjoyable. You just know that people are singing the words to themselves when they hear such lovely songs as Over the Rainbow, My Way and What a Wonderful World.

There is no let up next week. As mentioned above we will start the week’s programme as “the Specsavers choir” in Haverfordwest on Saturday morning 22^nd August where we will begin singing outside the Specsavers shop in Bridge Street. Specsavers are the sponsors of the Welsh Deaf Rugby Union. Then if the weather is good enough on Tuesday evening we will be outdoors again but this time at the entrance to the harbour in Tenby and then back at St. Mary’s church on Thursday for a concert in aid of RNLI. The lifeboat service operating from Tenby is one of around 200 in the British Isles and there has been a lifeboat station here for over 160 years. We are always glad to do concerts in aid of charities but I think there is a particular association with this very worthy cause which deserves the maximum support. So please come along if you can.

There is plenty of information and interesting stuff on our growing website including video clips. The website can be found at www.tenbymalechoir.org. There are contact details and different ways in which you can get to know more about it all

This weeks Wilburism

Tenby Male Choir – Hear us Tonight at Cresswell Quay

We are singing tonight (Friday 7^th August) in the open air at Cresswell Quay where there will be a barbecue available. There is no entrance fee and it has proved to be very popular in recent years. Come along, listen for free, join in and generally have a good evening out. It starts at 6:30pm.

Last week we had an excellent reception from a large audience for our concert on Thursday 30^th July including a standing ovation and demands for an encore, which we complied with of course. We had people from the Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, USA and New Zealand as well as all parts of England and Wales but nobody admitted to being Australian on the night which is unusual. MC Dave Blackmore did wonder whether it had anything to do with the Ashes result that week. The concert included a tremendous trumpet interlude with Corey Morris showing not only his talent with the trumpet but his overall confidence and comfort as a performer. He was admirably accompanied on the piano by St. Mary’s church organist Dr. John Harrison MBE playing some pieces which they had composed together. In all Corey performed Somewhere, Over the Rainbow, Oh What a Wonderful World, The theme from Ground Force, Henry Purcell’s Trumpet Tune and finally My Way. The concert was held in aid of the West Wales Prostate Cancer Support charity.

On the following Saturday 1^st August a select group of 12 choristers performed unaccompanied in Pembroke Dock as “the Specsavers choir” including a very well received half hour stint in the Rugby Club. We were supporting the Specsavers’ campaign to raise funds for the Wales Deaf Rugby charity. You can see from the photo that bottom bass Eric Mullins selflessly put everything he had into making this fun event a success.

We’ve had some terrific feedback this season from people who have been to our concerts. It’s the result of good training by our MD “Wilbur” Williams and our accompanist Jill (No Relation) Williams but also due to a lot of practice both in rehearsals and because we hold so many concerts. We hope we sound as good as the feedback suggests but most of us are very much people who came to the choir just because we liked singing along. The vast majority came along wondering whether they were good enough and enjoyed it so much that they stayed on. The message is that you don’t need to be a competent singer, you don’t need to speak Welsh, you don’t need to be able to read music and it certainly doesn’t matter how young or old you are. If you come along to a rehearsal and decide to join you will simply learn words and music gradually. Whatever your level of ability you will get better with practice as in all things. We are always interested in people’s thoughts or questions about the choir especially those of younger people and we are willing to help anyone overcome their reservations.

There is plenty of information and interesting stuff on our growing website including video clips. The website can be found at www.tenbymalechoir.org. There are contact details and different ways in which you can get to know more about it all.

Life? Old Dog?

Eric Mullins supposedly promoting the SpecSavers Choir?

Wilburism this week

Tenby Male Choir – John a Diamond Geezer

We’ve had a few personal honours in the past few months for our choir members, two MBEs, the ordainment of a deacon, and now we have another rare personal achievement. John L. Jones and his wife Mary from Broadmoor celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary on 10^th June and received a lovely message personally signed “Elizabeth R” from the Queen along with a photo of Her Majesty. It will only be a couple of years to the Queen celebrating her Platinum wedding anniversary and no doubt John will return the favour with his photo and a card signed “John L”.

John claims to be still active and knowing he is a keen gardener, I assume that is what he means although I do recall when someone in a rehearsal asserted that "most of us are past it”, a voice in a broad Pembrokeshire accent from the middle row of the top tenors did respond cryptically with the comment “speak for yourself”.

We had a very good audience on Thursday 23^rd July at St. Mary’s church. The evening began differently with Eric Mullins standing in for our chairman to handle the choir’s entrance and exit and putting his years of police marching experience to good use to organise a very efficient “staging” process.  Perhaps this will become a regular feature so that accompanist Jill Williams may not be encouraged to play the theme tune from Dad’s Army as we exit the stage. Fortunately Eric did not ask us all to greet the audience with “Evenin All” – not this time anyway.

The main solo spot for the evening was provided by our principal soloist second tenor Paul Varallo who sang Some Enchanted Evening, Bruscia La Terra Mia, Y Darlun and Bless This House. Tom Pierce also sang solo in My Little Welsh Home. We are grateful to local butcher Andrew Rees for sponsoring the concert.

It seems we are in great demand at the moment for all sorts of engagements, we have a backlog of charities wishing to book us for a concert, we have wedding invitations, outdoor concerts at Lawrenny, Cresswell Quay and both Tenby and Saundersfoot harbours, have just sung at Pembroke Castle with Only Men Aloud and now we are delighted to be invited by Specsavers the national eyesight partnership with over 2000 branches to sing a number of concerts at stores in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. This is a national campaign by Specsavers to raise money for the Wales Deaf Rugby Union . This is all part of celebrating the coming World cup and has a rugby theme with the choir wearing Specsavers rugby shirts and singing at their stores. The “Specsavers’ Choir” will be singing tomorrow between 12pm and 4pm at the Dimond Street, Pembroke Dock store. It should be a great occasion so planning your weekend shopping to be in Pembroke Dock on Saturday would be a great move. The picture shows Paul Varallo with members and accompanists of the Maesteg and Caerphily choirs at a recent planning meeting for the campaign. There is a full press release on our website.

We won’t really be able to draw breath before we have two further concerts next week. Firstly on Tuesday 4^th August we will be at St. John’s church, Tenby at 8pm and then its down by the river on Friday night with an outdoor concert at Creswell Quay. There is no entrance fee for the outdoor concert and a barbecue will be available. My grandchildren haven’t stopped asking me when the Cresswell Quay event is as they enjoyed it so much last year. It’s a great family evening out – weather permitting, of course.

The new choir CD called Hwyl a Hiraeth is proving very popular with attendees at the concerts and they can also be bought on our website for which there are details below.

New members and supporters are always welcome and anyone can come along to a rehearsal or concert and learn about what choir membership is all about. Rehearsals are on most Tuesdays and Thursdays unless we have a concert on one of those nights. So come along, have a listen and discuss what it’s all about with other members with a post-rehearsal pint to learn how you can support the choir or talk to us if you have a view or some doubts. We are always interested in people’s thoughts about the choir especially those of younger people.

There is plenty of information and interesting stuff on our growing website including video clips. The website can be found at www.tenbymalechoir.org. There are contact details and different ways in which you can get to know more about it all.

Latest News ..............

Thurs 30 July  - St Mary's Tenby Male Choir Charity Concert supporting and raising funds for West Wales Prostate Cancer Care starts 8.00pm

Thurs 30 July  - St Mary's Church Fete 11-3pm. Selling Raffle Tickets and the new Choir CD

Tues 04 August  - St Johns Tenby Male Choir Charity Concert for Church Funds - starts 8.00pm

Tues 04 August  - St Johns Garden Tea Party 2-.00 - 5.00pm offering tea and cakes plus sandwiches to the public on  the afternoon before the choir concert