FRIENDS REUNITED

September 2023 saw a joint concert with Mansfield and District Male Voice Choir when we were their guests at Clipstone Notts. This was the beginning of a friendship between the two choirs which saw us sharing the stage again on May 3rd 2025 in All Saints’ Church, Penarth.
 
This proved to be a superb event in the presence of a large, enthusiastic audience who clearly enjoyed the witty and always entertaining offerings from Mansfield, ranging amongst others from ‘Ar Hyd y Nos’ through ‘Take Me Home’ to ‘Chitty Bang Bang’, all delivered to a high standard.
 
CMDC, with its now expected mixture of power and passion, offered items which included ‘Hafan Gobaith’ through ‘An American Trilogy’ to ‘Nessun Dorma’, and the tenderness of ‘Myfanwy’.
 
Baritone soloist Ethan Hartley provided superb evocative renditions of songs from film and stage shows such as ‘Chaplin’, ‘Les Miserables’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’, before joining CMDC and young violinists Megan and Rhys Cook in a moving performance of ‘Tell My Father’, as part of the tribute led by compere Phil Howells in anticipation of VE Day. This culminated in stirring joint performances by the choirs of ‘We Rise Again’ and ‘World in Union’, which led to a spontaneous standing ovation.
 
Both choirs are fortunate to retain the services of such hugely gifted and dedicated music teams in the shape of Ian Grice and Maureen Lockwood (Mansfield), and Elaine Robins and Sian Davies (CMDC).
 
Beneficiaries of the event are to be Tŷ Hafan Children’s Hospice.
 
Written by Peter Edkins