Choral Concert

After welcoming the choir director, Dr Donald P Lang, the members of the choir, and James Piorkowski the guitarist, Mr Davies thanked the minister and people of the Moriah Baptist Church for permitting the concert to be held in the church.

Mention was also made of past presidents Tom Cowlin and Bill Powell, who organised the event and also David Hodson, a past president of the Newport club, and Martin Hodson, the conductor of the Risca choir for their valuable help.

The concert started with James Piorkowski playing one of his compositions, then the choir sang Who Do You Say I Am?, the title being a question Jesus asked one of his disciples.

This was followed by The Greatest of These based on one Corinthians thirteen.

The first half of the programme was completed with a number of gypsy songs.

The second half of the programme consisted of a mixture of poetry and verses commissioned by the choir put to music.

At the end of the concert Dr Lang and Mr Cowlin exchanged Rotary bannerettes and Mr Cowlin was given a letter of greetings from Chad Rizzo, the president of the Fredonia Rotary Club in which he expressed thanks for this exciting undertaking in international relations and good will.

Dr Lang then presented Martin Hodson with a certificate making him honorary member of the Fredonia Chamber Singers.

Reverend John Hayward concluded the proceedings by thanking the choir for an enjoyable evening and gave a brief history of the church.

Lottery Awards for Wales: Members of Risca Senior Citizens Club, Park Road, have been awarded a grant of £2,746 from the National Lottery which they plan to use for outings.

The club meets on Wednesday evenings at 6pm in summer and Wednesday afternoons in the winter at 2.30pm.

Luncheon club for all members on Thursday. Please come and join us.

Charity Quiz Night: The Fox and Hounds pub held a charity quiz night supporting the Joshua Foundation and raised more than three times the target amount.

Regular readers of Grassroots may recall the charity quiz night held at the Fox and Hounds, Risca on Thursday, April 26.

The event was co-ordinated by Jeff McCue with the support of Terry and Helen, landlords of the Fox and Hounds, and their weekly quiz master Paul.

The evening was yet another fantastic and successful night with a variety of strange and valuable raffle prizes to hand.

Mr McCue would like to take this opportunity to thank all the regulars of the Fox and Hounds for their generous support of which the pledge of £100 on the night was smashed with a massive £370 being raised in support of the Joshua Foundation.

The quiz night at the Fox and Hounds is a regular weekly event on Thursdays which all players old and new are welcome to attend.

Also Terry and Helen will soon be completing their second full year at the Fox and Hounds.

To celebrate the occasion they intend to hold a barbecue on July 29, together with supporting live band.

For more information on events you can contact Terry or Helen on 01633 612937.

The Joshua Foundation is a charity created in 1998 to provide holidays and experiences for children and their families, where the child is diagnosed with terminal cancer.

If you have fundraising ideas contact Mr McCue at jeffmccue@btinternet.com.

He is still looking to take on local suggestions why not drop him a line. For more information on the Joshua Foundation visit www.thejoshuafoundation.co.uk.

Cross Keys Community Group: Tea/coffee mornings are held every Tuesday between the hours of 10.30am and 12pm.

The bingo session will be held on Tuesday afternoon.

The doors open at 2pm and the game will begin at 2.30pm. The snow ball this week will be £11.

Do come and try your luck and have some fun. Everyone welcome.

The hall is available for hire. For details please telephone Rebecca on 07900 516381 or Lynne on 01495 271947. All calls will be returned.

Donations of compost bags to enrich the garden soil would be much appreciated.

Choir News: Rehearsals of Risca Male Choir will be held on Mondays from June 4.

They will also then continue with the current Thursday rehearsals from 7pm-9pm on both evenings during the summer months.

The annual general meeting of the choir will take place on Thursday June 21 at their headquarters in St Mary Street and all members are asked to be present to elect officers and committee for 2007/2008.

Starting a busy period for June is the combined band/choir concert at Newbridge leisure centre on June 15 where it will be combining with the Newbridge (Celynen) brass band under music director Paul Holland and the choir under their musical director Martin Hodson.

The concert starts at 7.30pm and tickets £6 for adults and £4 under-14s are available at the door or in advance from Granville-West, Chivers and Morgan, 50-51, Tredegar Street, Risca, and High Street, Newbridge.

Alternatively, phone Nigel Thomas on 01443 430360/07788 900754.

The Newbridge band is now competing in the championship section and has already had two successes in Ebbw Vale and Weston Super Mare this past month.

Risca Male Choir, then combine with Cross Keys College Choral Society and Ty Sign Primary School Junior Choir in a Cwmanfa Ganu in Moriah Baptist Church on Saturday, June 16, at 7.30pm with proceeds to three charities. Tickets £3.

Add to this is the Opera in the Park event at Pontypool Park on Saturday, June 23, at 7pm, when they will be supported by St Albans Roman Catholic High School.

Also taking part will be trumpeter Derek Williams.

Tickets at £6 each can be obtained from the Congress Theatre, Cwmbran or ordered per phone 01633 868239.

Other events at this venue will take place on Sunday, June 24, with singers and musicians from the Welsh National Opera and the Three Other Tenors, will be performing in the Italian Gardens.

For details of other events during the day and ticket prices contact the Congress Theatre.

On July 14 Risca Male Choir travel to Poole, in Dorset, for a joint concert with Bournemouth Male Voice Choir, and there are also two other engagements in the offing during the month.

The Closure of Kwik Save: A number of calls have been received due to the sudden closure of the above store at Tredegar Street, Risca.

These calls have not only come from local residents, but from people from Wattsville, Cross Keys, Pontywaun and Pontymister.

The store was close to the bus stop opposite Moriah Chapel and became a local shop to many.

In particular elderly folk are missing this store where some prices, compared with other food shops, were better suited to their pockets.

As for a Tesco which has been mooted to be opened as and when the proposed Palace Cinema area is developed.

It is felt there are sufficient such stores in the area as it stands.

The idea of a library and council office seems ridiculous when both venues at present serves their purpose.

Maybe a community hall with facilities for all ages should be given deep thought by the council authority?

What a pity that the Risca and District Residents' Association has folded due to lack of support.

Maybe, this could be the answer to resurrecting the body once again with some new and young blood.

Reminder: All reports (and photographs) must be in hands of the reporter by 10am Monday prior to the following weeks grass roots. Thank you.