A skeleton was brought out of the cupboard to get Pembroke and District Male Voice choristers back into the musical groove after the summer break!

They staged two concerts within one week in early September with the first venue the Regency Hall, Saundersfoot, in aid of the local RNLI Branch.

The choir has been learning new pieces, one being ‘Dry Bones’. This has proved a challenge, not so much the music but more the order in which the ‘bones’ are sung.

So a new choir recruit was introduced - ‘Vic’ the skeleton brought on stage by his pal Steve Lloyd. With strategically placed tags naming each bone a solution had been found! Much laughter ensued from both audience and choir.

New tenor duo of Matthew John and Dave Brinn gave their first rendition of The Bachelors’ 1960s standard ‘I Believe’ to great applause and concluded with their favourite, ‘Down in the Valley’.

Further songs from the choir led up to the interval when a raffle was drawn.

Under the eye of Deputy Stage Manager Dave Brinn the choir returned to the stage and Branch Vice Chair Pam Roberts gave a vote of thanks and added interesting statistics on the RNLI for 2017.

On average 22 lifeboats launched per day making an annual total of 8,436 while beach lifeguards went to 24,044 call outs; all busy people!

Also detailed was dedication to the cause by the ladies on the committee and their time served: President Monica McDowall 46 years; Treasurer Pauline Hunting 36 years; Chair Pam Roberts 29 years; Vice Chair Pam Mortimer 32 years.

Choir performed two pieces from ‘Les Miserables’ before two new choristers were introduced - Second Tenors Jeff Hurton and Howie Richards. They are the sixth and seventh new recruits to stage with the choir in 2019.

‘The Lifeboat Song’, so synonymous with the RNLI, was sung with solo verses from Dean Maiden, Matthew John and Phil Lloyd. Arranged by Phil Coulter, it tells of a lifeboat going out in rough seas to rescue a fishing boat and all lives saved.

Musical Director Chris Lloyd got audience involved in the chorus and a fine sound ensued.

Soloists were First Bass Ron Rees and Alyson Griffiths, on flute, and choir and audience joined together to serenade local lady Eva Rich who was celebrating her birthday the following day. And congratulations were sent to Second Tenor Ken Edwards and his wife Cynthia who were celebrating their Golden Wedding the same day.

Five days later came a return visit to St John’s Church, Tenby, where the choir sang to an audience of over 70 people, including visitors from two Australian states, Canada and all over the UK.

Tenor duo Dave Brinn and Matthew John again performed ‘I Believe’ and Alyson Griffiths delighted with three contrasting pieces on flute.

‘Dry Bones’ again featured but this time the skeletal ‘Vic’ was nowhere to be seen. Instead long suffering MD Christine Lloyd did her best to point out the correct sequences to varying success. The choir’s next practice session will see further work on this male voice classic.

Loss of microphone battery temporarily curtained MC Phil Lloyd’s repartee and when returned to power Phil got the next items mixed up, leaving smiling choristers to speculate if he, too, needed new batteries!

Following both concerts vote of thanks to the ladies of the RNLI and St John’s for refreshments were proposed by Second Bass Meurig Rees, in the absence of both chairman and vice chairman.