A capacity audience enjoyed the Mendip Male Voice Choir (MMVC) Annual Christmas Concert held in St John's Church Midsomer Norton at on Monday 18th December. The concert, which had sold out by mid-November, was the last of five in their Christmas Season following concerts at Timsbury, Oakhill, (Combe Down and Peasedown St John. At St John's, the choir were joined by soloist Lauren Cheshire who sang six numbers including Christmas Tree Farm by Taylor Swift as well as songs from modern musical theatre. Lauren who is now at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London performed with the MMVC once before as a young teenager over a decade ago and is delighted to be singing with them again. The seventy-strong choir included some eighteen new members who joined in September under the choir’s "20 Mendip Men Needed" campaign where they pledged to rehearse and sing in the annual Christmas concert though some have sung in more, and were sponsored to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK. Through their sponsorship and money from the Christmas season concerts, over £3,000 has been raised for this great charity as well as £1,500 for Romanian Charities through the Combe Down Concert. The choir thanks all for their contributions and the new members for all their hard work.
However the concert was tinged with sadness for the choir members as it was the last concert with Musical Director, Jamie Knights. Jamie has been a great Musical Director and Conductor for the last eleven years but now wants to spend more time with his family and plans to leave the choir in the spring. Choir Chairman, Richard Luscombe, explained, "We will be very sorry to see Jamie leave, the choir has blossomed with him, we have great fun, and the rapport Jamie has with the choir and our fabulous accompanist Phil Every, who continues with the choir is exceptional." "Efforts to replace Jamie, who is only the fifth Musical Director since the choir started in 1919, have been underway for some time and details of the vacancy can be seen on our website https://www.mendipmen.co.uk". Rehearsals recommence at 7:30pm on Monday, January 8th at St Mary's School, Timsbury and new members are always welcome.