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Last night, we were thrilled to give a concert in Maesteg where we raised over £600 for the Llynfi Valley Council of Churches Christmas Voucher Appeal. Each year, the LVCC raise funds to buy food vouchers for those families in need of a little extra help to buy food for Christmas.
What a sad state of affairs that we need to raise money for a cause such as this but I was delighted to see that the sell out audience in St. David's Church, Maesteg were only too happy to part with their £6 donation for the concert. In fact, many of them donated more money as they left
When a concert is organised, one can never be sure how many people will turn out to support, especially as there are usually so many other events taking place in the locality. However, we needn't have worried. The church was packed and the choir was treated to a standing ovation at the end...always a thrill when the choristers have given their all.
We also took the opportunity to pay tribute to Shelley Brown. She was a dear friend to many of the choir members and was my first music teacher in comprehensive school. There is no doubt in my mind that she nurtured my passion for music in general, but in particular, choral music. I remember the hours spent rehearsing on the day of a school concert. Shelley always had her clipboard with list after list and the day ran with military precision. Shelley and I remained in contact after I left school and we became colleagues in the amateur music making field and worked together on numerous occasions. Shelley fought a brave fight against cancer to the end and she will be much missed by all who knew her.
My thanks must go to our fabulous soloists last night. Our ever reliable accompanist, Stewart Roberts, gave stunning renditions of the Karl Jenkins Benedictus and The Swan by Saint Saens. We were very grateful that tenor, David Fortey was able to join us. David has a busy solo career alongside his Only Men Aloud! duties and he was only too pleased to lend a hand last night.
Sometimes, when one wonders if all the hard work is worth it, a comment by an audience member makes you realise how important music is in the lives of many people. An audience member arrived last night with a ticket for a concert on another night but decided to stay anyway. He said that he had arrived feeling really low and hadn't a clue what to expect. As he left, he told us that he was leaving a new man, feeling uplifted by what he had heard - that's better than any five star review!