Shameless name-dropping alert: if you are of a nervous disposition look away now… Last night Spectrum brushed shoulders with those giants of the music industry Bryn Terfel and Simon Cowell, thanks to our performance at the Town Mayor’s Charity Gala for St David’s Day in Penarth’s Paget Rooms.

Let me explain. There has long been a theory that all people are only six introductions away from any other person on the planet. Microsoft found this theory to be more or less true (read this fascinating article from The Guardian if you are sceptical).

And so it goes that Spectrum ended up sharing the stage with the show-stopping Jodi Bird, last seen wowing audiences on Simon Cowell’s show Britain’s Got Talent. Then in countering a severe tenor shortage, we invited guest tenor Keith Ingram to join us for the night. He in turn introduced us to his son Joseph, who stepped in at the last minute fresh from rehearsals with the BBC National Chorus of Wales and … Bryn Terfel for the St David’s Day Gala broadcast on BBC Radio 3. See?

But it was our MD’s musical connections that led to the privilege of being conducted on the night by guest conductor Ben Pinnow. Despite having just 30 minutes of rehearsal with the choir, he showed great musical intelligence in picking up on all the details that Dave had worked on tirelessly with us. He was a joy to sing for and led us to a stirring performance of ‘O Radiant Dawn’ and, at the end of a long night of choral entertainment, still held the audience spellbound during ‘Eli Jenkins’ Evening Prayer’.

Boasting just one legitimate Welsh choir member, we made our bows and quickly legged it offstage before we were caught doing John Redwood impersonations during the Welsh National Anthem…

Happy St David’s Day.