50 choristers enjoyed a wonderful first ever choir tour to South Devon between 14th and 17th November. The choir based themselves in Torquay and performed concerts on three consecutive nights, at each event they were also joined by a guest choir and together provided unforgettable performances for their audiences.

The tour, labelled the Dragon’s Song Tour, kicked off at the church of St John the Apostle in Torquay, prior to which choristers warmed to the occasion with impromtu performances in the town centre before delighting an appreciative Wetherspoon’s audience with a couple of taster songs! During the evening MMVC were supported by the Torbay Police and Community Choir who performed, among their numbers, a specially adapted version of the sea shanty “Nelson’s Blood” which had a few links to Monmouth.

Between concerts, choir members enjoyed downtime in this beautiful English Riviera location and made the most of the unseasonably balmy weather with strolls along the seafront or simply sitting and chatting, furthering friendship bonds.

Day two took the choir to Exeter. At the Christmas market, in front of the magnificent cathedral, looking stunning in the early evening sun, the choir performed a few songs before heading to the beautiful church of St David’s for the evening concert. This time to be accompanied by the fantastic Vox in Frox ladies choir.

MMVC heard this superb Chew Magna based choir at Usk Festival and invited them to join the choir on their Devon Tour and were absolutely delighted when they agreed!

The final tour performance took place in the cavernous 600 seat St Andrew’s Church in the centre of Plymouth. Here MMVC were accompanied by the wonderful Mayflower A Capella Chorus. Throughout the tour the choir were given rapturous applause for their dynamic performances and the high standard this choir now consistently achieve is very much down to their hardworking music team of MD Lewis Hutton, Deputy MD Allan Waters and accompanist David Carr.

Plenty of positive feedback has been received including: “What a lovely concert that was last Friday in Exeter. I was there in the audience with my husband and daughter whose birthday it was. It’s not everyday you have a male voice choir and Vox sing you Happy Birthday with all those harmonies. What a treat!”

“Just a quick note to thank you all for making the visit to Plymouth. A thoroughly enjoyable evening was had by all - Thank You.” Those members of the public that attended the concerts certainly went away with spirits lifted from Hwyl a Hiraeth – singing to stir the soul.

This first tour was an undoubted success. Monmouth Male Voice Choir pride itself on the camaraderie among members and the tour simply enhanced that spirit. You can listen to snippets of the tour by logging in to the choir Facebook page including two magical performances of Bridge Over Troubled Water when MMVC were joined by Vox in Frox (Exeter) and Mayflower Chorus (Plymouth).

If you would like to be part of this flourishing choir now with almost 80 members, why not join a Thursday evening rehearsal at Monmouth Baptist Church 7.30-9.30pm, you will be made most welcome.

They are a community choir and although strive to create the best sound they can, you don’t need to be a Pavarotti to join them! They have a wide range of resources to support new choristers. Why not just go along to a rehearsal. You'd be welcomed without having to make any commitment. You may even end up singing at a rugby international!

The choir is a charity with the objective of fostering public awareness, and appreciation of the Welsh male-voice choral tradition.