Saturday 05 December 2015
Guest contributor, Geraint Hopkins, Pencoed writes........
In a week of fierce storms and high winds, Bridgend Male Choir in concert with St Mary’s RC School Choir was on a dry and welcoming evening in St Mary’s R.C. Church in Bridgend Town.. A capacity audience listened to a wonderful Advent Concert. In the evening’s 8th joint concert, it was good to see the largest number of boys ever in the splendid mixed choir under the baton of Gillian Weale. The children delighted everyone with their singing. The proud parents stiffened the spines, so full of pride. Bridgend Male Choir gave these young songsters a standing ovation at the end of the concert.
Both choirs sang old and new, traditional and modern carols and the evening was soon at an end. The Bridgend Male Choir’s musical duo, Rhiannon Williams-Hale and accompanist Stephanie Bailey sang a Christmas duet, “Silent Night” & Rhiannon again “O Holy Night”, while Choir Organist, Scott Williams entertained with a festive organ recital.
Bridgend MC opening selection set the tone for the evening; a lively German folk song separated two powerful hymns, one Welsh and a modern English that would have had the spine tingling. The final concert closing section included ‘This is the Moment’ from the musical Jekyll & Hyde and a Russian folk song with a Christmas twist. Betwixt the two, soloist Gareth Reese sang the “Austrian Carol, Still, Still, Still”.
The evening was kept on the right track by Compere Gareth Davies who enabled the children to leave for their homes and bed in good time.