Bostock Singers Summer Concert

Bostock Singers, a brand-new group to District 8, invited me along to their Summer Concert which proved to be a great evening of entertainment. Performing in a church is always a strong choice for vocal groups given the acoustics and, along with the sublime harmonies on display, this gave the group such a full sound.

Nicola Howbrigg is the Musical Director for the choir and was also the main conductor for the event. I hope she was having as good a time as it looked, as she was just bursting with energy for the entirety of the evening. Directing the group through some stunning numbers with ease (some in foreign languages!), the whole choir were fixed on Nicola to provide precise timing for each and every note. The singers were beautifully blended with no single voice standing out above the others in the full choir numbers. Every song was polished and completely in sync, with some of the most crisp and clipped vocals I have ever heard. I was particularly impressed with how all the t’s at the ends of phrases were perfectly pronounced and in time.

The running theme throughout the concert was Les Misérables, with several numbers from the musical featuring in the running order. “Drink With Me” was performed well by a small group of singers. A lovely introductory speech was given to provide context for the audience of where this number comes within the musical. However, I found it hard to hear the vocals from the women during this number. Keith Millington gave us a stunning rendition of “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” performed with so much passion and emotion. He displayed great stage presence and had the audience gripped from start to finish. I also enjoyed the performance of “Master of the House” from another smaller group of singers. It was a great addition to the set list, providing a real change of pace and some hilarious moments. The use of props and costumes indicators was great for keeping things interesting, and everyone performed with high energy.

“Bridge Over Troubled Water” was a stunning display of vocals, in particular the acapella section! I noticed that the men were heavily outnumbered by the women, yet they were never overpowered, showing great awareness from each and every person involved. Small elements of movement were included for some numbers such as “Mr Blue Sky” which worked very well. Everyone was in sync with their movement and it was visually effective. “Hava Nageela” stood out to me as a highly impressive number as it was excellently performed in Hebrew. I also enjoyed the choral rendition of “Wannabe” – what a fun number! When I saw it in the set list I thought “surely this isn’t the song I think it is?”. How pleasantly surprised I was! I must also give special mention to the orchestral performance of “English Country Garden”. This was a great opening to Act 2 with some hilarious moments!

The two stand out numbers of the evening for me were “Come What May” and “Run”. The only notes I wrote during these songs were “goosebumps” and “stunning” and I think that’s the best way to sum it up. “Come What May” is a song already filled with harmonies, but Bostock Singers somehow took it to another level, giving much more depth to the song.

The singers all wore matching ties and blouses for the evening, looking smart and uniform. The group comprises of a range of individuals, with varying ages and abilities, and it’s so lovely to see them all coming together to do something they love. There was so much passion displayed through their singing which brought a smile to my face.

Thank you to Bostock Singers for the invite to their Summer Concert and I wish them the best of luck with future performances.

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