THREE LITTLE MAIDS FROM SCHOOL ARE WE

Carol (left) had known Linda (right) since she was six, both attending St Dial’s Infants/Junior School, Cwmbran Village. They met Pat in 1964 at Coed Eva Secondary, Cwmbran. With all three being accepted into the Coed Eva School Choir (Anne Brown was the then MD), they discovered a love of music and performed in 4-part harmony for many years, appearing on Opportunity Knocks and Westward TV and performed at Garden Parties and concerts for Harold Wilson PM and George Thomas MP. The choir and Pat, as individual, won competitions in Eisteddfods. Carol was the last to leave the choir at 22!

After losing touch, many years later Carol organised a Coed Eva Choir Reunion and in 1993 the old choir met up again and the following year performed a successful Reunion Concert with their original MD (now Anne Hewkins).

Carol has run an electrical & mechanical company for 15 years with her husband and has two daughters. Linda had gone to Cardiff University and obtained a degree in Education & Creative Arts and now teaches music and National Curriculum in a local Primary School and has two sons. Pat qualified as a hairdresser and also has a daughter; she works locally and keeps very fit with regular aerobics!

Carol joined New Harmony Singers in late 1979 in her usual role as Alto – her father (John White) was already a member of the Bass section. She had always enjoyed singing 4-part harmony and loved the varied programme of music sung by New Harmony. With a gap in her membership of 7 years to have her children, Carol re-joined New Harmony and will have served 23 years as a member of New Harmony in 2009 when the choir celebrates its 30th year!

Having got back in touch with old choir friends, Carol persuaded both Pat and Linda to join New Harmony Singers; Linda has now served 13 years and Pat 10. However, it did not stop there as other members of Coed Eva Choir has since joined and it is one of the reasons there is a great deal of friendship and camaraderie within New Harmony Singers.

After nearly 5 decades of knowing each other, “there are no friends like old friends”.