As we took our seats in a crowded theatre eagerly awaiting what we knew would be a great treat.

I wonder how many of the audience apart from family members realised the amount of hard work entailed in reaching such a superb performance.

I was privileged to be invited to a rehearsal and experienced for myself the dedication and commitment given by each of the members of the choir. Their amazing Musical Director Louise Langley is exactly the same in rehearsal as she is on the night.

Lively, enthusiastic and very strict, but her ‘boys’ love her and there is much laughter and camaraderie throughout the evening.

Louise, who needs no spotlight as her smile alone lights up the stage endeavours to present a varied musical selection with something to please everyone in the audience. Indeed this year there were so many of my favourites I would be hard pressed to mention them. Their talented accompanist Thelma King ensured everything ran faultlessly and Compere Norman Dorkin kept us entertained throughout with his snippets of information delivered in his own inimitable style.