A NORTH Wales choir is busy preparing for the festive season.
The Sirenian Singers have a lot on their schedule, including taking part in the Christmas Celebration for Nightingale House Hospice at William Aston Hall tonight (November 23). Some members of the choir shared their thoughts on why it's so important to them to sing in the concert.
Jean Stanley-Jones MBE, the Sirenian Singers musical director, discussed her husband Bryn Jones and how he received support from Nightingale House Hospice following his Motor Neurone diagnosis in 2014 before he died in 2016.
She said: "My husband Bryn was a mechanical engineer, a DIY man... he loved lots of sports. Just after starting retirement, Bryn was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease at 65. After being told, we went back to the car, and we were both in shock.
"The only shining light on the horizon was when one of the nurses mentioned coming to access the services at Nightingale House. We met the most wonderful team at the hospice. He went once a week and had hydrotherapy sessions. They would get him laughing and talk with him. He even stayed for a few days for pain management, which helped a lot. He used to come in, and I would see that light in his eyes again. To be honest, the hospice was a lifeline for us."
Fellow choir member Elgan Davies-Jones described his connection to the Wrexham hospice as a volunteer: "I volunteer weekly in the garden, which is a lovely, fulfilling experience with a group of special people. I also enjoyed singing with the hospice choir in the Light Up a Life service last year.
"Over the years, I have come into contact with many people who have been touched and inspired by the work of Nightingale House Hospice. It was, therefore, an easy choice, when I managed to make some time for volunteering in my life, to become a part of the hospice community."
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The night promises to be a wonderful Christmas celebration, raising much-needed funds for the local hospice to provide patient care to the community.
Elgan added: "I have been singing with Cantorion Sirenian Singers for nearly two years now. I'm very much looking forward to performing with the choir to support such a worthy cause. It will definitely be an inspiring and entertaining evening with some wonderful musicians."
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Looking forward to the Christmas concert, Jean said: "The first reason people should come is because the money is supporting such a wonderful cause! The second reason is because it's a fantastic celebration of Christmas. The audience will feel so much joy and happiness that it will really put them in a good mood this Christmas."
• Limited tickets are available for the Christmas Celebration with music from renowned Welsh tenor Trystan Llŷr Griffiths, music from Robert Guy's enchanting New Sinfonia, Cantorion Sirenian Singers, Rhos Male Voice Choir and Lleisiau'r Afon. Book your tickets on William Aston Hall's website or by calling their box office on 01352 344101.
For more information, email rachelle.mclachlan@nightingalehouse.co.uk
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