Tenby Male Choir closed a successful summer season with president Wynne Evans at a celebratory Gala Concert at St Mary’s Church, Tenby.

Now in their 48th year, the Choir is proud to have raised thousands of pounds annually for charities and good causes. This summer's concerts have raised amounts between £500 and £1,500 for charities including Save the Children, Parkinsons UK, Prostate Cymru, RNLI, Samaritans, PATCH, St Johns church and the James Hopkins Trust.

Tenby Male Choir’s guests were the Serendipity Choir, soloist Miranda Morgan and their President Wynne Evans, BEM.

The concert on September 28 was opened by their president who welcomed people to the packed church and thanked them for coming out on such a dark and stormy evening to support their local choirs. Tenby opened with a rousing performance of “Rachie” followed by the mellifluous “Shenandoah”. One of the Choir’s new songs this year is the Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows” and its rhythms and harmonies were tightly executed. The first set closed with the powerful “African Prayer”, best known today as the basis of the South African national anthem,

The choir’s gifted Deputy Musical Director, Miranda Morgan, played two beautiful piano pieces “The Dance of the Watergrass” and “Wedding Day at Troldhaugen” which delighted the audience.

Serendipity Ladies Choir from Narberth followed, opening with a heartfelt rendition of “The Rose”, made famous by Bette Midler who sang it in the film of the same name. Elton John’s “Your Song” and The Beatles’ “Yesterday” followed before their pièce de résistance, Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” which drew massive applause from all present.

After a short interval, Serendipity returned to the stage with the moving “You Raise Me Up”, the lilting “Carrickfergus” and haunting “Lily and the Rose” before a stirring medley from the 1992 film “Sister Act”.

President Wynne Evans took centre stage to talk about the power of singing in choirs to improve physical and mental health, to tell some inside stories from the Masterchef kitchen and the Welsh National Opera, and to sing, filling the church with his powerful, operatic tones for “My Life Belongs to You” and “The Impossible Dream”.

Tenby Male Choir’s final set began with the powerful Welsh hymn “Llef” before the peace of the acapela “Calm is the Sea”. Another new song, the powerful and moving “All By Myself” by Eric Carmen set to Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.2, was very well received. The Choir brought their performance to a close with Queen’s popular anthem “We Are the Champions”. Newly crowned Celebrity Masterchef Champion 2023, Wynne Evans joined the Choir and led the audience, joining the choruses and waving their arms in time.

The concert was brought to a close by all performers joining to sing Calon Lan together, followed by anthems.

President Wynne Evans kindly presented gifts of flowers to Juliet Rossiter and Heather Williams, Musical Director and Accompanist of Serendipity, Miranda Morgan, Guest Piano Soloist, and Paul Rapi and Jill WIlliams, Musical Director and Accompanist of Tenby Male Choir.

Chairman Terry Williams thanked all present and presented a gift to President Wynne Evans in recognition of the support he continues to offer the Choir.