This is the 10th year that we have been asked to sing at a Christmas Concert in aid of the Maggie’s cancer support charity and their centre in Singleton Hospital. They provide free, expert support for anyone affected by cancer, providing a welcoming space with professional staff to help with emotional, practical, and financial worries, alongside workshops and activities to help people live with cancer.

The concert took place on Thursday11th December and, as usual, took place in All Saints Church in Oystermouth. This year we again joined the Pontardulais Town Band, a renowned brass band that competes at championship level, performs concerts and parades, runs a thriving youth academy called Brass@Bont, and offers musical training for all ages, aiming to promote brass music and nurture new talent in their community.

The band started both halves of the concert playing a selection of band music, some with a Christmas theme. This, as usual, was always very popular with the packed audience.

For the first half we were in full uniform and started off with ‘Let All Men Sing’, this is becoming our standard opening for concerts.  We then continued with ‘What would I do Without My Music’, ‘Always On My Mind’, ‘Five Foot Two’ and ‘Rhys’. For the second half we abandoned our formal jackets and put on our Christmas ties. We sang ‘And Can It Be’, ‘Siyahamba’ and then some of our Christmas repertoire with ‘Rocking Around The Christmas Tree’, ‘One More Mile To Go’, ‘O Holy Night’ and ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’.

The choir and the band joined together for the final number Jona Lewie’s ”Stop the Calvary’ which ended with a standing ovation from the appreciative audience.