CHEPSTOW Male Voice Choir's year ended on a high note and plans are underway for a packed 2013 – its 25th anniversary year.

The final appearances of a very busy and exciting year were at its Christmas concert and annual visits to local care homes.

The concert at Chepstow Leisure Centre which had been carefully programmed by Musical Director Elaine Mat­thews, was enthusiastically received by a capacity audience.

It included two new carols in the choir's repertoire, The Sussex Carol and the lighthearted, but very appropriate, Cowboy Carol.

The first half ended with a surprise item as 13-year-old Henry Firth took to the stage to sing Consider Yourself from the musical Oliver supported by the choir.

The audience demanded an encore and Henry, who is the grandson of a choir member and has played the Artful Dodger in a school production, duly obliged.

The guest soloist for the concert was the talented Joshua Mills, who was Dunraven Welsh Young Singer of the Year in 2012.

He had been a soloist at the Welsh Association's 1,000-voice  concert at the MEN stadium in Manchester in March, where he was spotted by the choir's musical team as an ideal candidate for the solo spot in this cncert.

The concert was supported by the Lydney Training Band, under its conductor, Kevin Ford. The band played carols for the audience and entertained before the start of the concert and at the interval. The band is now a part of the show for this concert and is very popular with the audiences.

The concert ended as usual with the beautiful song Oh Holy Night with Joshua joined by Henry's sister Samantha backed by the choir.

The New Year looks as busy as the previous one, with the plans, already well advanced, for a summer tour to the North-east of England at the beginning of June.

It will include concerts in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea in aid of the RNLI and in Anwick for the local Rotary Club which is celebrating its 75th anniversary. A visit will be made to, and a recital performed on, Lindisfarne, (Holy Island). On the way to Northumberland, the choir will perform a recital in Sheffield Cathedral.

It is also the choir's intention to compete at the Mid-Somerset, (Bath), Festival in March. The choir has a record of success in this competition.

The choir's website, www. chepstow­mvc.co.uk has been updat­ed with the news and calendar.