In aid of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board Nephrology (Renal) and Transplant Directorate

The 24th June will be celebrated every year as the anniversary of my life saving, changing and sustaining double organ Pancreas and Kidney Transplant, (known as an SPK Simultaneous Pancreas and Kidney Transplant).  Almost 34 years of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and 6 years of Chronic Kidney Disease led me to be under the care of every Kidney department in the Cardiff and Vale UHB remit.  This included both wards at UHW, outpatient dialysis services, home dialysis and peritoneal dialysis team, satellite clinics at Aneurin Bevan UHB and Newport dialysis unit.  For this reason, I had to say thank you to everyone who has cared for me and is caring for me still.  It is impossible to say this face to face to them all and therefore what better way than expressing gratitude through “A Night of Musical Delight” with Risca Male Choir and Harpist Bethan Watson.

The venue was a no-brainer, St Basil's Church, Bassaleg, after all, I have a familial connection with the rector Rev C Stone (my brother).  Perfect acoustics, large enough for the expected audience and just about large enough for the 33-strong RMC choristers.

The church came alive as the guests started arriving.  The hustle and bustle of raffle tickets being sold, people taking their seats, the choir positioning themselves in the sanctuary area ready to start.  (It is with thanks to Ashley Rogers, St Basil’s church warden and his two helpers moving the altar to make room for the choir).

The night began with a welcome from the St Basil's rector and then an immediate handover to Matthew Harrison (RMC MD) and Alison Thomas (RMC accompanist).  Matt had chosen a familiar program to more recent events like the Chester tour and had to include the Llangollen International Eisteddfod items. RMC must show why they came 3rd in the Equal Voice competition also as top placing male choir and top placing Welsh choir in that same competition to a relatively different audience). It had been some years since Risca had sung in St Basil's as a concert venue only at weddings or funerals in the last few years.

The programme started with Hodie (John Leavitt).  This time deputy soloist baritone, Alan Davis stood in for Andrew Jenkins who unfortunately could not attend due to the dreaded W word……WORK.  Alan did a superb job. You have trained your understudy expertly Andy.

RMC continued with O Gymru (Rhys Jones) with a performance showing control and blend.

Dr Helen Jeffries was due to represent Cardiff and Vale UHB on the night.  As a Transplant Nephrology Consultant, I have been under her care as a chronic kidney disease patient and a transplant patient.  She was very enthusiastic about attending and very grateful for the work that was going into the concert.  With a heartfelt apology, I was saddened to receive an email from her secretary Julie Graham at 16.00 (3 hours before the concert), to say due to an emergency she was required to go to the hospital and had to withdraw.  Attached to the email was her speech which I read out on her behalf, outlining the work of the Nephrology and Transplant Directorate.  Transplant care is non-stop, 24/7 and is totally unpredictable sometimes.

Following that, Risca Male Choir produced a balanced sound of a difficult and tricky piece, but becoming an audience favourite, and one that Risca is showing their ability at its best The Word Was God (Rosephamy Powell).  RMC’s next piece is always a crowd pleaser and I would say is in our MD’s (Matthew Harrison) top ten presently as it certainly has him swaying as he conducts, (sometimes the melody and  rhythm just take control) Gonna rise up singing (Don Besig).

The soloist then took over the evening serenading everyone, Welsh harpist Bethan Watson,  A graduate of RWCMD, a harpist for orchestras across the UK and more recently in 2019 a harp dealer for the world-renowned Salvi  Harps.  Her first-half performance items were La Source (Alphonse Hasselmans) and Tros y Garreg (John Thomas).

The choir finished the first half with a relatively new item for most of the choir, one that hasn't been performed by Risca in a concert for numerous years, Stout hearted men (Walter Scotson), and a fantastic performance of What shall we do with the drunken sailor? (Shaw and Parker).

After the interval, RMC returned with Let all men sing (Keith Christopher) and Hiraeth (Alwyn Humphreys).  Bethan then further wowed the audience (you could hear a pin drop in St Basil’s). With fantastic acoustics the harp sounded magnificent as Bethan entertained with Claude Debussy’s Premiere Arabesque and Phantom of the opera medley (Andrew Lloyd Webber).

There were a few tissues and handkerchiefs required for the next section, and I could have done with one myself.  It was an emotional talk for myself to give.  One of reflection on my journey.  Not because of the sadness of it but t did make me emotional, more to the fact that I realised how much I had been through, how much I had put others through but how different and amazing I feel now because of it.  The talk included my personal thanks to Cardiff and Vale UHB.  To all the staff from the consultant surgeons to the housekeepers and porters.  It outlined why I felt I needed to fundraise in order to help other patients under their care in a similar situation to myself.  The talk included mentioning my donor family.  Although I did not know much, I discovered through letters passed on through my transplant team, that my donor's husband (Dereck) is a poet. He sent me a poem following the transplant which was perfectly apt and I read it out in tribute to Vanda, my donor.  The poem was entitled Angels set free.

Matthew Harrison set the choir programme for the evening.  He was not aware of the poem or its title that I was intending to read.  It was pure coincidence (or divine intervention) that following my speech, still full of tears, the choir sang Anfonaf angel (Robat Arwyn).   Never have I, Alison or Matthew heard the choir sing Anfonaf angel with such emotion, completely expressing the meaning of the piece, and personally I will never sing that piece again without placing myself in that moment.  The title in the English translation is Guardian angel and Vanda is truly mine.  The evening concluded with two more emotional pieces Can you feel the love tonight? (Elton John arr. M Hodson MBE) and Gwinllan a roddwyd (Caradog Williams) a fairly new piece for RMC in its 53-year history but a firm favourite of mine, a show stopper and concert ending performance.

Refreshments were included in the ticket price (the night was a bargain in my opinion).  My thanks must go to Kay Rogers from St Basil’s for setting up, playing barman alongside her band of helpers (including my nephew Thomas).  I must also say the raffle went down a storm and again thank you to my organised helpers Vanessa Price and Megan Price (Top tenor Geraint Price’s mother and nan) and Olga Tutton, (2nd tenor Dave Tutton’s wife) for twisting so many arms to buy the raffle tickets.

Together with ticket sales, raffle ticket sales, and donations (some pre-concert) the amount raised was £1483.50 on the night.  With the “Go fund me” page still active (search Cardiff and Vale Nephrology and Transplant on the “Go fund me” website) and some donations received post-concert, the total should be around £1600.  A fantastic achievement and all I can say to everyone who has supported in any way, by donating money, time, resources, talent and expertise,  from the bottom of my heart THANK YOU !!!!!!!!

Tim Stone: Tenor 1.