This is a report of the Forest Faddle held at the College

Theatre, Five Acres, on 20.09.08  

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 AUDIENCE THRILLED BY THE SOUND

             OF BLAENAVON

A large audience gathered at the Forest Theatre at Five Acres in the Forest of Dean for Dean Forest Voices 5th Forest Faddle. This year the organisers had decided to give the show a fresh look and invited, as their guests, the Blaenavon Male Voice Choir who come from an area with a similar cultural and industrial background to that of the Forest of Dean. No Faddle would be complete without  a performance from Dick Brice who, once again, delighted the audience with his songs and humour, confirming his position as the Forest's top entertainer. A feature of Forest Faddles is the selection of the Forest Bard, and this years winner, introduced by compere Keith Morgan, was Ann Osley with her poem 'Wum Zweet Wum' which, in the words of the judges, painted a perfect picture of what life was like for most people in the Forest of Dean and Blaenavon fifty or sixty years ago. 

From the very first number of their first set the audience warmed to Blaenavon Male Voice proving that a first class choir with an excellent support programme will alway guarantee a large audience. The Choir presented an excellent variety of works ranging from Eric Clapton's hauntingly beautiful "Tears in Heaven" to the emotive hymn Gwahoddiad with the  magnificent  fortissimo of the 'Amens', and ended with a wonderful selection from 'Les Miserables' the story of passion and destruction set against the backdrop of the French Revolution. As the Choir ended with 'One more day', all those present at the College Theatre no doubt went away hoping that there will be 'one more day' soon  with the Blaenavon Male Voice Choir.

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