After a record year of raising funds for charity, a record fundraising concert at Wells Cathedral, and a record collection at the Bath Christmas Market, the men came home to St John’s Church, Midsomer Norton, last Saturday for their annual Christmas Concert, and they could have sold the venue out twice over, with many people left disappointed with all tickets sold.

A good crowd listened to the men at Bath Christmas Market. It was a long stint standing up in the cold, the friends rattled the buckets for the Children’s Hospice and did very well, raising much-needed funds.

It’s been a long, hard year for the Mendip Men, having to learn new songs for the Wells Concert plus songs for the Summer and Winter programmes – they really had to dig deep last Saturday to get over their last concert of 2017; what a year.

The men started with ‘The First Noel’, followed by ‘When a Child is Born’ ending the set with ‘Sure on this Shining Night’.

It was the turn then of the choir’s superb soloist Hannah Drury, and she put on faultless performance, singing ‘Midwinter’, ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ and ‘The Christmas Song’. To wrap up the first half, the Men sang, ‘Mistletoe and Wine’, ‘The Colours of Christmas’ and ‘Star Carol’.

The choir’s friends committee served wine and mince pies to everyone, which was much appreciated by the sellout audience.

In the second half, the men sang more of their favourite Christmas songs, with the audience joining in for ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’ and ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’.

After the last piece, ‘There is Faint Music’, the choir’s chairman, Peter Beaven, thanked Hannah Drury for attending the concerts, Philip Evry for his tremendous piano playing, for all the rehearsals and concerts, and Musical Director, Jamie Knights, for getting the men in fine shape with enthusiasm and fun.

A special thank you to Mark and Becky of Abbey Pianos, Binegar, who kindly loaned the choir a piano for their concert at Combe Down Church, which pianist Philip Evry was over the moon with.

The Mendip Men start back rehearsing at St Mary’s School, Timsbury, on Monday, 8th January at 7.15 p.m. This is a really good time to join the choir, with a new set of songs to learn. You will be made most welcome.

Bryn Hawkins