A moving evening of music and commemoration was held at the hauntingly beautiful venue of St Davids Cathedral.

In their first-ever joint concert, hospice charities The Paul Sartori Foundation and Shalom House collaborated successfully to host a Light up a Life concert on January 27, an annual event that unites people together in remembering loved ones whom we have lost.

Part of the Hospice UK movement’s calendar of events, the two foremost hospice charities in Pembrokeshire were thrilled to be working together to provide a moment of reflection and comfort and raised an incredible £4,805 to keep providing vital end-of-life care to the county.

Shalom House caters to people with life-limiting illnesses from their Palliative Care Centre in St Davids, offering day care options as well as counselling, future care planning, and respite care for patients and their families.

The Paul Sartori Foundation offers hospice at home services, including home nursing care, equipment hire for mobility and comfort, night care, bereavement services, and complementary therapy.

Both organisations offer a lifeline to those in need and were keen to work collaboratively to raise funds and awareness of their much-needed services.

The evening lived up to expectations; a packed-out audience was treated to many fantastic melodious performances.

Haverfordwest Male Voice Choir filled the air with atmospheric traditional harmonies under the expert guidance of choir leader Sarah Sharpe, while the Paul Sartori Community Choir embraced more modern songs, ending their set with an incredible rendition of Adiemus by Karl Jenkins, led by choir leader Mark Heron.

Libby Noakes, Emma Louise Burton, and Jenny Noakes, also known as Gioelli, each performed a solo, with music ranging from musical theatre to Puccini.

Each performance was so spellbinding that you could have heard a pin drop in the audience.

The reflective sounds of clarinet soloist Julie Conybeare, accompanied by Margaret Blackledge, echoed around the peaceful venue as audience members were invited to take a moment and light a candle in memory of loved ones lost.

Then all the evening’s artists joined in singing ‘The Rose’, a very moving moment that was felt right around the Cathedral.

The evening could not have taken place without the sponsorship of local businesses - Castle Hot Tubs, Calon Cymru Fostering, Richard Brothers, A Way with Flowers, KO Carpets, TBS Skip Hire, Thomas Turf, Lloyd & Pawlett, Nature Woodland, and The Retreats Group.

Their support means that both hospice charities have benefitted greatly from this sold-out event and can continue to work together to provide hospice care options for the residents of Pembrokeshire.