40th Anniversary Concert

Concerts are an excellent way to celebrate an anniversary, as they give the opportunity to find something for everyone, both in terms of the audience and the cast.  This concert started with old classics and ended with up to the minute musicals that many will not yet have seen or even heard of. There was a helpful, short introduction to explain that this was a 40th Anniversary concert, but I would have liked more narrative to guide us through the programme.  The back projections were a good idea but were often obscured by those on stage.  A compere would have helped to cover the inevitable gaps between items when performers are getting ready and into position although in most instances the company handled this efficiently.

For concerts, one expects the singing to be of a high standard and this company did not disappoint.  Unfortunately, the programme did not credit the musical director but whoever it was should be congratulated on some really lovely vocal arrangements and for creating a well-balanced, impressive sound. The company’s vocal skills were particularly evident in the first half with such classics as ‘You’ll never walk alone’ and ‘Black Hills of Dakota’.  There were also some excellent soloists who provided the very confident vocals in the Rodgers and Hammerstein medley and other chorus numbers. ‘Climb every Mountain’ sung by Sandra was a particular highlight.

It was great to see CLOGS junior section, The Clogettes, featured prominently in the programme.  Full of energy and character, they did a great job of bringing all their numbers to life.  ‘Belle’ from Beauty and the Beast and ‘Hard Knock Life’ from Annie were memorable, being delivered with great energy and enthusiasm.

The second half started off with the classics, including a very entertaining and enjoyable rendition of ‘Pick a Pocket’ from Oliver sung by Chris as Fagin.  The first of the recent musicals was a powerful presentation of ‘Welcome to the Rock’ from Come From Away.  There then followed a sequence of standout performances from the younger members of cast, especially ‘What baking can do’ from Waitress which was delivered with West End precision by Amy.  

Strong vocals aside, there were also some very enjoyable moments of dance and movement in the show, which hinted perhaps at past performances.  The use of boxes gave the opportunity for different levels which worked well. There was also a real bond between cast members in some of the chorus numbers, perhaps most evident in the uplifting final item , which indicated what a close knit company this is. 

Regrettably, the cast were often let down by production elements outside of their control, such as sound and lighting. However, these minor niggles aside, this was a very enjoyable concert with some really strong standout performances and a fitting celebration of CLOG’s first 40 years. 

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.