DESPITE competition of the final of ‘Strictly’ on the TV, the generosity of the audience who came and choir members raised £428.95 for St Petrocs work for the homeless in Cornwall in the retiring collection at Launceston Choral Society’s Christmas concert at Central Methodist Church.

The choir gave its now traditional mix of carols old and new, glitteringly accompanied by Mary Mazur Park on organ and piano who also played a wonderful organ voluntary at the end of the concert.

Musical director, Jonathan Mann’s, superb programme of music was interspersed with seasonal readings, traditional and original, by Caroline Latham, Paul Smith, Jennie Hillman, Patricia Philp, Sue Batten, Julia Gaunt and Crispin King and featured Christmas poems not heard before by Rudyard Kipling and J R R Tolkien. Like last year, the audience was invited to the church hall for a cup of tea and a mince pie.

The choir is now looking forward to its next concert on April 5, which will feature “Hiawatha’s Wedding” to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of the British composer, Samuel Coleridge Taylor. The choir rehearses at 7.30pm on Monday evenings in the church hall. New members are always welcome and can phone 01566 772701 for further details.