PENNAR Community Church saw three school choirs take part in the annual Christmas concert, arranged by Pembroke and District Male Voice Choir.

Pembroke’s Golden Grove, Sageston and Pembroke Dock Community School took part in the December 10 concert, welcomed by the Rev Liz Squires and MC Phil Lloyd.

Judges, Conductor Christine Lloyd and choristers Tony Ward and Winston Owens placed Pembroke Dock Community School first for the first time ever, with joint second going to Golden Grove and Sageston.

The Male Voice began the concert with two items including ‘Mary’s Boy Child’ with solo verses by Ron Rees. The accompaniment was shared by Jenny Griffiths and Carole Rees.

Lots of actions characterised the performances of all three schools. Although depleted in numbers the seven Golden Grove choristers earned long applause for ‘Around The Christmas Tree’ and ‘Jingle Bells’.

Sageston’s choristers, dressed as wartime evacuees, sang a selection of wartime favourites to mark the recent 75th anniversary of D-Day, before swopping to Christmas hats to deliver ‘Santa Claus Is Coming To Town’.

The Male Voice returned with the very seasonal ‘We Three Kings’ – with the ‘king’ solos by second bass Meurig Rees, first bass Chris Rooker and first tenor Matthew John – and the ever popular ‘For As Long As I Have Music’.

Pembroke Dock Community School choir showed why this year they had won the judges’ vote with a polished performance of ‘Not Far From Bethlehem’, which included impressive part singing, and an action-packed ‘A Friend Like Me’, from the musical Aladdin.

Golden Grove and Sageston will each share, for six months, the Gordon Davies Cup presented in memory of the choir’s former president.

Pembroke Dock winners received the Wilf Johns Cup, which was being presented for the 28th consecutive time. Mr Johns was a choir founder member. A cheque for £100 was also presented to the winners with the runners-up receiving £75 each.

And from funds raised by the concert a further donation, for £500, was received for Christian Aid by the Rev Roger Hart.

Each Christmas season the Male Voice Choir makes individual presentations for long service. This year six choristers were the recipients:

10 years service: Dave Brinn, First Tenor; Mark Fawcett, First Bass, and Huw Morgan, Second Tenor.

20 years: Steve Lloyd, Second Bass.

25 years: Royston Griffiths, First Bass.

30 years: Ron Rees, First Bass.