MALE voice choirs teamed up in a great ‘Evening of Song’, raising the roof and funds for charity.

Caldicot Male Voice Choir invited the Barry MVC to join them at their magnificent Choir Hall.

The event was held to raise funds for The Sepsis Trust UK, Caldicot MVC’s adopted charity this year, and added around £500 to the funds. thanks to the generosity of those who attended.

Caldicot spokesman Lyn Gauntlett said: “There may be great rivalry between male voice choirs on the competition stage, but when they combine there is true friendship and camaraderie amongst all who share the incredible, common hobby and experience of being in one.”

The evening was planned to enable both choirs to show off their talents and expertise of choral singing.

Caldicot, conducted by Si?n Hatton and Shirley-Anne James and accompanied by John Nicholson, included in its performance appreciated pieces African Prayer, Benedictus, With a Voice of Singing, Rachie, and Paul Simon’s Bridge Over Troubled Water, arranged by choir accompanist Stephen Berry.

To “wide acclaim”, it also premiered the Bob Dylan composition Make You Feel My Love, arranged by Si?n Hatton and recently recorded by Adele,

The ‘Boys in Blue’, the visitors from Barry, conducted by Dorothy Connell and accompanied by James Bull, further entertained the packed house of invited guests to a wide range of genres.

Their performance included Crugybar, Au Fond from Bizet’s opera The Pearl Fishers, the warning to Hunker Down at the approaching storm, Eli Jenkin’s Prayer, and the complex piece Sky and Space, which included arrangements of David Bowie’s Life on Mars and Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven.

The formal part ended with both choirs combining in an assembly of more than 80 voices to sing favourite hymn Deus Salutisto the tune of Llef.

Lyn added: “The eve-ning continued with a superb and extensive buffet provided by Caldicot choristers’ wives and an enjoyable, rousing period of Afterglow singing by a combination of both choirs which gave the opportunity to sing their favourite songs in a relaxed atmosphere of choral harmony.”

Barry MVC chairman David Parker expressed his congratulations and appreciation to all concerned in making a truly memorable evening.

For more information about Caldicot MVC, go to www.caldicotmalevoicechoir.co.uk