Tenby Male Choir is marking its 50th anniversary with a series of concerts, an appearance at Wales v Japan in the Autumn Nations Series and a fundraiser in aid of Wales Air Ambulance.
79-year-old Anthony ‘Tony’ Key, OBE, is the choir’s MC, but also a former Regional Fundraising Manager for the Charity.
He was ‘delighted’ when he found out the lifesaving service would be among this year’s beneficiaries.
Tony said: “I am hugely proud to be connected with the Charity, I worked for the air ambulance for five years before stepping down in 2016, to have more family time.
“We live in such a rural part of Wales, so if something serious happens to you, your best hope is the onboard clinicians.
“The service brings all the expertise that you would find in an emergency department, to your doorstep or roadside. I am so pleased that we have been able to support this incredible cause.”
The Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury.
It is delivered via a unique third sector and public sector partnership. The Wales Air Ambulance Charity relies on public donations to raise the £11.2 million required every year to keep the helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road.
The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the Charity’s vehicles.
This advanced critical care includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.
As a pan-Wales service, its dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency lifesaving care.
In July, Tenby Male Choir, performed before an ‘electric audience’ at St Mary’s Church in Tenby in aid of Wales Air Ambulance. Their special guests were Cor Y Mor Ladies Choir from Saundersfoot.
Tony said: “We have performed thirteen concerts so far, seven of which have been fundraisers for charities and good causes. We have raised £7,000 and have a few more events ahead.”
He continued: “We packed-out St Mary’s, around 250 people supported our event in aid of Wales Air Ambulance. The atmosphere was electric!
“We raised £2,000, that’s the most we have ever raised at just one concert. We only charge £10 per person and children under sixteen go free, so we are delighted to be able to donate so much.”
Tony has had a varied career, working in a factory as a teenager, before joining South Wales Police Force.
He ‘likes to keep busy’, so a spell as a community safety officer followed (he was the first one in Wales dealing with crime and disorder partnerships).
But he says his love of singing, has stayed with him since he was a young chorister back in Aberdare.
Tony said: “It’s been so wonderful to bring together two things I am hugely passionate about, my singing and the amazing work of the Wales Air Ambulance.
“It was a real honour for me to be able to talk to our audience about the work of the service and relate it to our music.”
The choir started off with the Welsh hymn, Rachie, which was first sung during the era of the first World War.
He said: “It was for the loyal and the brave, and I could relate that to the loyal and brave pilots flying the helicopters and clinicians onboard. They are all so wonderful.
“It is not the easiest job, and they face some terrible situations, but they do it with such compassion.”
He added: “I tried to weave stories through the opening songs, so people could relate to the words and what the air ambulance service means to me.”
The grandfather of seven says from his experience in fundraising, the Charity’s supporters are ‘incredibly generous’ and ‘often because the service has helped a loved one, colleague or neighbour’.
He said: “Once I was asked to go to the home of a West Wales family after a loved one passed away. They gave me such a great welcome, Bara Brith on the table with Welsh butter and lashings of tea. Then the whole family gathered and handed over a five-figure cheque.”
He continued: “Then I went to a Bingo evening, in a quiet village, which turned into a not so quiet night. The hall was packed, with local Welsh produce for sale, a buffet like you’ve never seen in your life and raffle prizes piled up. They raised thousands!”
Tony added: “It’s the patients and communities that continue to inspire me and keep me wanting to support the incredible people who work for the service.”
Tenby Male Voice Choir will be holding their 50th anniversary concert on Thursday 4th September at the De Valence Pavilion.
Tony said: “We have a fantastic line up on the night including our President Wynne Evans, who will be performing alongside us, as well as our feature choir the amazing Bella Voce.
“Our musical repertoire has changed over the years, Hymns and Arias and Cwm Rhondda used to rouse the crowd.
“But Queens’ ‘We are the Champions’ gets people waving their arms like they are teenagers again, and ‘Somebody to Love’ is a guaranteed ovation. It causes uproar!”
Tenby Male Choir have their own YouTube account where you can watch them perform some of their most popular renditions. https://youtube.com/@TenbyMaleChoirVideos
Mike May, Regional Fundraising Manager for South West Wales said: “Congratulations to all the Tenby Male Choir members on your amazing milestone!
“We are delighted that as you celebrate your 50th anniversary, you have chosen us as one of the beneficiaries of your fundraising.
“We’d like to extend a big thank you to all those who took part in the concert in aid of us and the generous supporters who attended on the night.
“Two thousand pounds is an incredible amount and every pound raised will help save lives!”
