THE Friends of St Mary and St Peter's Church, Tidenham, were hosts to Chepstow Male Voice Choir at the end of March as part of the ongoing fundraising for the church restoration project.

The choir had offered to give a concert at the church as part of their 2015 charity programme, and everyone at Tidenham Church was delighted – this was the first concert at the church for many years, and illustrated that the major restoration project is indeed receiving great support from church members and the wider community.

The choir presented a varied and very well-received programme, with a wide range of items from Verdi and Bizet operas to traditional Welsh songs. Included in the performance was the Evening Prayer from Dylan Thomas's Under Milkwood, along with some settings of famous popular music – Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water, the Lennon-McCartney When I'm Sixty-Four, Westlife's You Raise Me Up, and Bring Him Home from Les Miserables were particularly well received, along with classic favourites which included stirring renditions of Cwm Rhondda, Jacob's Ladder and When I Survey The Wondrous Cross. Interspersed with other items from the choir's considerable repertoire were three solos from choir members, including a very attractive performance of Carole King's Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow to guitar accompaniment by Richard Fry, the assistant musical director of the choir.

The choir's singing of You'll Never Walk Alone, followed by the Welsh National Anthem, brought the highly successful concert to a conclusion. Tidenham Church Friends were delighted with the response – over £500 was raised for the funds – and offer huge thanks to the choir and their musical team for providing such an excellent evening in every way.

This has been a good month for Tidenham Friends; in mid-March the trustees were delighted to receive a presentation cheque of £200 from Hanley Farm Shop Ltd, which was a donation from their recent craft fair event, and thanks are extended to them from the trustees and members of the Tidenham Friends members.

The year will continue with more fundraising events. An art competition to select a picture to become "the face of St Mary and St Peter" has generated interest within the community and all the entries will be available for public viewing at the Old School Village Hall, Tidenham Chase, over the weekend of Friday 15th May to Sunday 17th May.

The winning entry will be used to produce a print and postcards, offered for sale, with the original being auctioned at the appropriate time for the funds.

There will also be a Summer Weekend Festival from Saturday 4th July to Sunday 5th July, when the church will be "open to all" and which will feature a whole range of activities for everyone including a day-long music sponsorship event, a photography exhibition, a

quiz and a special choral service will take place in the church on the Sunday evening.