Songs for a Summer Evening

Songs for a Summer Evening – 2023 Summer Concert Season… this concert was part of Crosby Gilbert and Sullivan Societies 2023 Summer Concert Season…. presented at The Emmanuel Church, Derby Street, Ormskirk on Saturday 1st July, 2023.

Crosby Gilbert and Sullivan Society Summer Concert Season consisted of two concerts this year, the first being tonight, the second being performed at St. Bride's Church, Percy Street, Liverpool, L8 on Saturday 8th July 2023.  It honestly doesn’t seem that long ago (20th April, 2023) that my wife and I were invited to your splendid production of ‘The Mikado’ at Southport Little Theatre - just nine week ago… since then I’ve had the privilege and pleasure of seeing nineteen other amazing productions from societies in District 6 …from dramas to musicals, from concerts to opera’s…. time fly’s when you’re enjoying yourself … there really is no rest for the ‘wicked’!

Production Team…. people have this innate idea that ‘staging a concert’ is an easy option, WRONG, from personal experience, putting a concert or revue together takes a great deal of planning, knowledge and expertise!   ‘Fact’… Crosby G&S are blessed with many talented people who are just willing and able to carry out these requirements…so, its congratulations, yet again, to Ian Dunning (Musical Director), Ann Dickinson MBE (Pianist) and our ‘Narrator’ for the evening, Helen Bennett, who did a marvellous job guiding us through the ‘where’ (these pieces came from), ‘what’ (the productions were all about) and ‘how’ (these pieces actually fit into the context of that production).  Many thanks Helen… and congrats to you three for ‘pulling’ this entertaining concert together!

The programme was performed in two parts…
PIRATES of PENZANCE opened Part One…
i) Opening the concert the Men’s Chorus gave us a rousing rendition of “Pour oh Pour the Pirate Sherry” …  led by Ian Lindsay singing the part of ‘Samuel’…. this really did set the tone for the evening.
ii) “When Frederick was a Little Lad” sung/performed by Elaine Williams (Ruth)
iii) “Stop Ladies Pray” sung by Peter Crichton (Samuel) and Heather Boguslawska -Taylor (Edith)    
iv) Peter Crichton as (Frederick) then continued with “Oh is there not a Maiden Breast”
v) Sally Shaw (Mabel) gave us a great rendition of ‘Poor Wandering One’ which was merged with “How Beautifully Blue the Sky” … Sally being joined by the Ladies Chorus with Heather Boguslawska-Taylor and Susanne Denner singing the roles of (Edith and Kate respectively).
vi) “Oh Dry the Glistening Tear” was Sally Shaw’s (Mabel) next rendition… Ladies Chorus in tandem.
vii) No better song to end ‘Pirates’ than ‘When the Foeman Bears his Steel’ with Simon Killeen (Sergeant), Heather Boguslawska-Taylor (Edith), Sally Shaw (Mabel), Jonathan Taylor (MG) and the entire chorus great ending… sung to perfection!  
From ‘PIRATES to PINAFORE’ …HMS PINAFORE another classic from Gilbert and Sullivan. 
What do we all do when on board a ship?  Answer….
i) “We Sail the Ocean Blue’ another rousing song sung by the Men’s Chorus… they blew those sails full!
ii) “I’m called little Buttercup’… Elaine Williams told us! 
iii) Confessions continue when Simon Killeen told us ‘I am the Captain of the Pinafore’,  great to know Simon!
iv) ‘Farewell My Own’ was next, sung by Peter Crichton (Ralph), Helen Bennett (Josephine), Elaine Williams (Hebe), Jonathan Taylor (Sir Joseph), Iris Kelly (Buttercup does Elaine know?), James Fleming (Boatswain), Simon Killeen (Carpenter) along with the entire chorus…  great job folks… sounded fabulous! 
v) Bringing down the ‘sails’ on ‘PINAFORE’- Act 2 finale sung by Heather Boguslawska-Taylor, Elaine Williams, James Fleming, Ian Dunning, Simon Killeen, Jonathan Taylor and Iris Kelly (Josephine, Hebe, Ralph, Deadeye, Captain, Sir Joseph and Buttercup respectively) … great ending to the Pinafore!
To conclude Part One – we had a ‘trumpet solo’ from Arek Drabik and in company with Izabela Madejek-Jaszczuk they dueted a Polish Folk song called ‘Krakowiak Krakowiaczek’… be proud you two, great job!

Part Two…  commenced with one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s lesser-known pieces PATIENCE.
i)  Emma Williams (Angela), Susanne Denner (Ella) and the Ladies Chorus told us about the “Twenty Lovesick Maidens We”  more confessions.. thank you, ladies … great opening!
ii) ‘Still Brooding’ and ‘I Cannot Tell What This Love May Be’ was the next two merged songs, sung by Ladies Chorus with Sally Shaw (Patience), Emma Williams (Angela) and Heather Boguslawska-Taylor (Saphir).
iii) The ‘Men’s Chorus then told us about “The Soldiers of Our Queen”
iv) “In a Doleful Train” was opened by the Chorus with parts sung by Jonathan Taylor (Bunthorne), Emma Williams (Angela) and Elaine Williams (Saphir) finished with the chorus… sung to perfection!
v) “Long Years Ago” sung with feeling by Elaine Williams (Patience) / Heather Boguslawska-Taylor (Angela)
iv) The Chorus ended this section with the Finale of Act 1 sung by everyone and what a great rendition it was… it was amazing just listening to all those voices coming together so wonderfully! 
GRAND DUKE provided the next two songs…
i) “Won’t it be a Pretty Wedding” sung by Chorus – with solo pieces by Elaine Williams (Elsa/Olga) and Heather Boguslawska -Taylor (Bertha and Greta) … well done ladies!
ii) “Come Bumpers, Aye Ever so Many” … soloist Iris Kelly (Baroness) and the entire Chorus. 
We then had five songs from UTOPIA …
i)  “In Lazy Languor’  lead by Elaine Williams (Phylla) in company with the Ladies Chorus
ii)  “O Make Way” sung really well by the entire Chorus
iii) “In Every Mental Lore” – sung well by James Fleming (Scaphio) and Ian Dunning (Phantis)
iv)  Peter Crichton gave us a great rendition of “A Tenor All Singers Above”
v)   Then the entire Chorus helped end this section with ‘Eagle High’
Finale – two songs from the GONDOLIERS…
i) “Dance a Cachucha” and an encore sung by The Entire Chorus … great end to a great night!

Never One to Sit on the Fence…  if I may, these are MY fab five songs from the evening… ask anyone else present and I’m sure there would select different options, but these are mine….
i)   Loved, loved “We Sail the Ocean Blue” … Men’s Chorus… smashed it, great song sung ever so well!
ii)  Loved the Finale… “Dance the Cachucha” … the entire chorus ‘knocked this one out the park.. great way to finish the evening!
iii) “In a Doleful Train” opened by the Chorus with parts sung by Jonathan Taylor (Bunthorne), Emma Williams (Angela) and Elaine Williams (Saphir) finished with the chorus… amazing rendition, be very proud!
iv) “When a Foreman Bares his Steel” ... Simon Killeen (Sergeant), Heather Boguslawska-Taylor (Edith), Sally Shaw (Mabel), Jonathan Taylor (MG) and the entire chorus great way to end ‘Pirates’… sung to perfection!
v)  Last but not least … “Stop Ladies Pray” wonderful rendition by Peter Chrichton (Frederick) and Heather Boguslawska (Edith) loved the way the voices blended… be ever so proud you two!   

Thank you so much for the invite and your hospitality. Thanks to Peter and Jonathan for taking the time to chat during the interval and to Jonathan for his assistance with the programme notes… appreciated.  Can I also take this opportunity to wish Peter all the success at the Buxton Festival.  Looking forward to seeing you all again at Southport Little Theatre in April 2024 and my further G&S education… ‘Iolanthe’ can’t wait!

Stay safe and keep well
‘Stronger Together’

Jim Briscoe
NODA North West
Regional Rep District 6

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