MENDIP Male Voice Choir closed a successful summer season performing to a packed Midsomer Norton Methodist Church, at its annual summer concert.

Taking place on Monday July 14, it was the final concert in its ‘Songs from Stage and Screen’ season, which gave the choir an opportunity to introduce some new songs to go alongside some of their more well known ones.

For the second concert in a row the scheduled soloist had to withdraw from the concert at the last minute.

It meant some late night practice for accompanist Dominic Irving, who would be the one to take over the mantle. To prepare, he would have had to quickly learn music by the likes of Oleg Miroshnikov, Gabriel Grovlez and Gustav Schreck to accompany Royal Conservatoire of Scotland bassoon student Bethan Cheshire.

Bethan grew up in a musical family locally and has performed with the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain and been invited to play with the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland. Her performance won enthusiastic applause from the audience.

The Mendip Men opened the concert marching onto the stage to the introduction to Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘Entrance and March of Peers’ from Iolanthe.

The concert included old favourites such as 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'Blue Moon' and 'Some Enchanted Evening'. ‘Chattanooga Choo Choo’, complete with guard and train whistles and ‘Flash, Bang Wallop!’ were among the audience favourites of the evening.

The concert culminated with a piratical Gilbert and Sullivan classic 'With Cat-Like Tread', complete with eye patches for all the men.

Music director Kate Courage said: “The singers were in fine voice and it was good preparation for our forthcoming Welsh tour in September.”

The choir will now be taking a break for the rest of the summer before preparing for its autumn series.