Gwent is rich in tradition with male choirs, and Gwent Police Choir, now in its 43rd year, remains true to that tradition. Formed initially as Newport Police Choir, the choir has expanded over the years and now includes singers from all over the county, including civilian staff and members from outside the force.

The singers are united in one aim, and that is to raise money for charity. Virtually every concert is a sell-out, and as such they rarely benefit from any publicity.

To try and re-address the balance, an invitation to their annual concert at St Julian's Methodist Church was the perfect tonic for a miserable November evening.

In turns, uplifting, humorous, melancholic and always note and pitch perfect, it was impossible not to be moved by this body of sound.

Led with confidence by their experienced musical director, Rodger Appleby and accompanied by the very capable Nicola Coker ,this choir really is a force to be reckoned with.

The capacity audience were charmed from the start, as the choir led with two familiar Les Miserables numbers, Do You Hear the People Sing and Bring Him Home before introducing their talented guest artist, Clive Lemon.

With Rodger Appleby's own arrangements of Didn't It Rain and The Lord's Prayer included before the interval, we were left in no doubt as to the choir's depth and range.

An American Trilogy in the second half evoked both the pain and the glory of war, and the choir demonstrated their versatility by giving a nod to the Blues with arrangements of Summertime and Swingin' with the Saints before Clive Lemon almost brought the roof down with his interpretation of Fiddler on the Roof's, If I Were a Rich Man.

An inspiring and memorable evening, here's a toast to many more.