Made in England

A selection of music from our country’s heritage by choir and soloists ranging from Greensleeves through the years to Finale Act One of ‘Pirates of Pensance’ was well performed and delighted the audience with it’s variety. Excellent chorus’s from the choir and a number of superb solo’s brought back many memories of listening to the wireless broadcasting perennial favourites seldom heard nowadays. Mike Dernie has an engaging Baritone voice and sang ‘The Vagabond’ and ‘Bright Ring of Words’, which I well remember singing in my youth. Sharon Toy gave a moving solo ‘I Don’t Know  How To Love Him’ from Jesus Christ Super Star and Jim Parker a less well known ‘Fear No More the Heat ‘o The Sun’. The second half opened with the rousing ‘Long Live Elizabeth’ by the choir followed by the English Rose sung charmingly by Alan Savage. The highlight of the evening for me was ‘A Brown Bird Singing’, superbly sung by Judith Standing. I have always loved this song and have never heard it sung better. Freddie Mercury’s Bohemian Rhapsody from the choir and the concert ended with the stirring ‘I Was Glad’. Angela Allard provided superb accompaniment to soloists and choir and fully deserved the audiences applause at the end. A most enjoyable evening.

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