MONMOUTH Male Voice Choir and Dunvant Male Choir joined forces for a concert to raise funds for ‘Friends of the River Wye’.

This was the third annual charity concert organised by Monmouth Male Voice Choir and proved to be one of the most successful, securing over £2,000 for the charity.

Dunvant, one of the oldest choirs in Wales, were conducted by D Huw Rees and supported by accompanist Tony Phipps.

They began the evening with the Haydn James arrangement of Finlandia, then followed with an eclectic mix of songs including Ave Maria, Sanctus, You’ll Never Walk Alone, Let it be me, Come What May and to close, a rousing rendition of Deus Salutis (Llef) arranged by Mansel Thomas.

Following a short interval, Monmouth took the stage and opened with the Welsh football anthem Yma O Hyd.

Then followed a repertoire full of supporters’ favourites, among them, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Myfanwy, An American Trilogy, Anfonaf Angel, I Dreamed a Dream and When I Fall in Love specially arranged by their Musical Director Lewis Hutton.

To close their session the choir sang the male voice choir classic Gwahoddiad.

Finally the appreciative audience, shoehorned into the centre’s main hall, were treated to a stupendous climax when the two choirs of 100 + voices, came together to sing Calon Lan and, of course, Hen Wlad Fy Nhaddau.

It was an absolutely magnificent evening of song, thoroughly enjoyed by the capacity audience and many were heard saying, as they left, “That’s the best concert I’ve been to for quite some time.”

For the choristers the evening wasn’t yet over as they retired to the bar to re-cement old friendships during a convivial ‘afterglow’.

MMVC supporters can hear them again at the Savoy Theatre on March 28 when they support the fabulous Inner Voices undertaking their ‘Harmonies Across Wales Tour’.