THERE was a night of music at St Mary’s Church in Chepstow on Saturday, April 15, to raise funds towards the upkeep of the landmark building.

A packed church was treated to music from Chepstow Town Band, the Chepstow Community Orchestra, the Swingcopation Big Band and Chepstow Male Voice Choir.

Chepstow Town Band opened with Prismatic Light by Alan Fermie followed by Floral Dance which was an unlikely chart-topper for the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band in the 1970s.

Under the baton of musical director Brian Ellam, they also performed Fanfare and Hymn Repton by Hubert Parry and Lincolnshire Poacher.

The band rehearses at Wyedean School.

The Chepstow Community Concert Orchestra, led by Jessi Stephens, opened with No 3 March from the English Folk Songs Suite by Vaughan Williams.

They followed it with Stravinksy’s Firebird, the Largo from Dvorak’s New World Symphony – which many people still associate with a TV advert for bread – and Toreador’s Song from Bizet’s Carmen.

The orchestra, which was formed in 2015 and rehearses at Wyedean School, closed the first half with a rendition of the Ukrainian national anthem.

The Swingcopation Community Big Band started the second half with Oh Lady Be Good by George and Ira Gershwin which was followed by the Bossa Nova Contessa.

Their version of Shiny Stockings by Frank Foster is a personal piece as it was arranged by Bryan Jones whose son Alan plays second trombone with the band.

Ed Ryan performed a tenor saxaphone solo in Lester Leaps In by Lester Young.

They completed their set with an arrnagement by musical director Alex White of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

The final group to showcase their talents was Chepstow Male Voice Choir under assistant musical director Kirsten Watson.

They were accompanied by James Godfrey on keyboard in his first concert since joining the choir on March 20.

They opened with Roger Miller’s King of the Road and the hymn How Great Thou Art.

The arrangement of the hymn was commissioned from Alwyn Humphries to mark the choir’s 25th anniversary in 2013 and is now dedicated to the choir.

They next performed Speed Your Journey from Verdi’s Nabucco which they will sing at the prestigious Festival of Male Choirs at the Royal Albert Hall next April.

The choir rehearses at The Dell School and they are holding a taster evening for potential choristers on Monday (April 24) from 7pm.

They completed the evening with Unchained Melody, made famous by the Righteous Brothers and Roman War Song by Wagner.

The choir joined the Big Band to lead the singing of God Save the King and Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.

The concert was organised by Brian Ellam of the Chepstow Community Centre and the compere was Stephen Dance.

The concert raised nearly £700 for the Friends of St Mary group supports.