Porthleven Christmas
Wednesday 6th December, 2023 - 6:41pmWhilst half of the country is being told rather prematurely and loudly by Noddy Holder that "It's Christmas!" and the other half were wishing rather optimistically that they were the person that Maria Carey was talking about when she sang "All I Want For Christmas Is You", down in Porthleven and surrounding areas all anyone wants for Christmas is the Porthleven Town Band and Mousehole Male Voice Choir.
Well
on Tuesday, December 5th at St. Bartholemew's Church in Porthleven, a
sold out audience had their Christmas wishes come true. This annual
concert is a huge favorite with the choir and the band. The reassuring
sight of proud and expectant relatives and friends of the Porthleven
Town Band were looking forward to hearing the recent section winners in
the British Championships performing alongside Mousehole Male Voice
Choir.
Under the command of conductor Tom Bassett, this
band has gone from strength to strength and it is always a joy to watch
and listen to young musician's playing with such enthusiasm and skill.
They bring such joy, festive cheer and some very agile dance and
choreography movement to some of their pieces. The slightly less young
and not so agile members of the choir, whilst enjoying the gymnastic
display, would have been fervently hoping that Mousehole's MD, Steve
Lawry, was not about to incorporate this balletic brilliance to any of
our future concerts!
The Choir really does enjoy this
annual concert. It signifies the start of Christmas for most of the
men. There is an air of trepidation as we sing for the first time our
set of Christmas carols in public. But we always seem to rise to the
occasion...thanks mainly to the brilliant work our MD and music team
have put in during practice. And I think that the men feel comfortable
at this concert. It's like an old friend you visit every year. There is a
reassuring warmth and familiarity throughout the whole evening. The
dulcet tones of Radio Cornwall's Peter Richmond,with his parables and
stories help the evening flow. The church is always full, looks
beautiful and the audience is receptive.The perfect recipe for some
quality singing.
I hope that the two new second tenors,
John Brooks and Frank Adams, enjoyed their first concert with Mousehole.
Welcome aboard and here's to many more. I am informed that Frank Adams
is the only choir member born in this century! That's not something his
proud father, Bruce Adams, in the bass section can claim. They both
have fine voices. Like father, like son as they say.
And
young Frank is following on in his father's footsteps by nipping down to
The Harbour Inn after the concert to carry on the important tradition
of the afterglow which was enjoyed by all.
The Choir must
thank Maureen Trevorrow for her beautiful flute playing and Charles
Parke for his lovely solo in "O Holy Night".Thanks also to Dave
Williams, our assistant MD, and to Annette Turton for her wonderful
piano playing. Last, but by no means least, a huge thanks to our
brilliant MD, Steve Lawry. has encouraged,cajoulled, and willed us to
become a better Choir. He will be looking for even more at our Christmas
Concert on the 22nd of December at St. Pol de Leon Church in Paul. It
starts at 7.30 and our special guests are the ever popular Twin Harmony and young Oliver James, a terrific violinist and our secretary Tim James's grandson. All the tickets have been sold and this will be another wonderful
concert.
As the song goes..."I'm Dreaming Of A White
Christmas". I'm afraid I can't promise you snow...but I can, on behalf
of Mousehole Male Voice Choir, say,
NADELIK LOWEN HA BLEDHEN NOWYDH LOWEN
John Brooks and Frank Adams. Main picture – proud father, Bruce Adams and his son Frank.