THE history of a Pembrokeshire chapel will be brought to life on stage this month in words and song.

This year sees the start of the bi-centenary celebrations of the little Baptist chapel at Pisgah, near Cresswell Quay - founded in 1821 and still going strong.

And to begin a programme of exciting events to mark the occasion, one of the building's close neighbours has penned Marching to Zion.

Author Keith Johnson has based the musical play on the story of the chapel's founding and its first 100 years.

It will be performed at the Merlin Theatre, Haverfordwest on Friday February 28 at 7.30pm by The East End Flyover Company and the Quaynotes Choir of Carew.

It was inspired by a family memoir about two of the chapel's stalwarts - brothers Johnny and Benny Cole - whose father, John Cole, was one of the chapel founders.

Life for the brothers revolved around their families, their labours in the quarries at West Williamston and – most important of all – their work at Pisgah Chapel.

Between about 1850 and 1900, Johnny and Benny were staunch supporters of the little chapel, as leader of the singing and superintendent of the Sunday School respectively. Both suffered serious injuries while working in the quarries, but nothing ever kept them away from their work at Pisgah.

In the 1920s, one of Johnny's sons compiled a handwritten memoir entitled The Story of Johnny and Benny Cole of Pisgah,which records in affectionate fashion their long service at the chapel, together with the concert parties, open-air baptisms, Sunday School outings and revival meetings which were a feature of chapel-going at the time.

“Both brothers were noted for their fine singing voices, whether in the chapel, at village wedding feasts or on Sunday School outings to Saundersfoot beach, so a number of Sankey hymns and popular songs of the period have been woven into the script,” said Keith.

“We are also fortunate that one of the ministers of Pisgah during this period was the Rev William Meredith Morris who made a study of the folklore of Cresswell Quay and left us with a wealth of stories about ghosts and corpse candles, some of which we have also incorporated."

The production of 'Marching to Zion' marks the beginning of a series of events to celebrate the bicentenary of the chapel which first opened its doors in 1821 and is still going strong.

Tickets for 'Marching to Zion' cost £6.00 and are available online via Ticketsource/ Marching to Zion.