There was a wonderful evening of masonic entertainment recently at Borough Theatre Abergavenny, as Keith Davies reprised Abergavenny Elvis to raise money for local charities and celebrate all that is good about Freemasonry.
Keith Davies is currently the Worshipful Master of St John’s Lodge number 818 in Abergavenny, having been installed in the Chair of King Solomon in February 2023. Along with his masonic duties, Keith has another passion: impersonating the late, great Elvis Presley. This passion for performing as the King of Rock and Roll goes back over 20 years. Over that time, Keith has raised over £400,000 at events in the United Kingdom and over 6,500 Euros at overseas concerts, all donated to local charities. Keith is ably supported by his band, ‘the Memphis Mafia’, and together, they perform purely for charity with no expenses taken whatsoever.
In recognition of his charitable work, Keith was awarded the British Citizen Award for Volunteering and Charitable Giving (BCAV), presented to him by the now King Charles III, who was then the Prince of Wales. This award is presented to an individual who has extensively contributed to fundraising, charitable giving or devoted time and energy voluntarily to a selection of charities through a prolonged and dedicated approach.
The concert was well attended by Monmouthshire Freemasons, their families and friends from near and far. In the audience were many members of the Provincial Team who were keen to lend their support to the event. The Deputy Provincial Grand Master, Chris Evans, was also in attendance.
The night had a unique twist as Elvis was joined on stage by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, Chris Evans, who belted out the Elvis favourite ‘If I Can Dream’ to rapturous applause from the audience.
The Deputy Provincial Grand Master, Chris Evans commented,
'Freemasonry is about building lifelong friendships and raising money for charity. Nights such as this promote a positive image of Freemasonry, and it also gives an opportunity for Freemasons and their families to come together to raise money for good causes.'
'Keith has a great voice and is a credit to Freemasonry. It was kind of him to invite me to accompany him on stage, and I was very happy to join in support of charity, but I don’t think I’ll be giving up the day job!'
Elvis left the building after raising a considerable amount for local charities. He’ll next be seen at the same venue in December 2023.
