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Author: Andrew Kay

REVIEW: Resound & Rebelles: Peace, Hope and Christmas Jumpers

Posted on by Andrew Kay

Brighton’s choral scene has never been more buoyant and increasingly accomplished. And much of that success lies in hands of our incredible LGBTQ+ choirs. At Christmas they come out, forgive the allusion, and deliver festive treats with programmes that reflect the season from the  religious to the secular.

Resound is an all male ensemble that for years now has been raising the bar in terms of ambition and accomplishment and this season’s offering was yet another feast of sensational singing and giddy campery.

Resound are regularly joined by their sister choir Rebelles, not LGBTQ+ as such but falling clearly and supportingly in the camp of allies. The combination of the two groups when singing together delivers that full power of choral music and together they show masterly skill and artistry.

This time round we were treated to some extraordinary singing from each choir individually and again when they join forces. The programme was to say the least eclectic. Sam Barton works closely with the choir in choosing their repertoire but is perhaps the force behind some of their choices and hence some of the more exacting and ambitious pieces selected.

Last night we had Tippet, Britten, Holst and Rachmaninov, stirring stuff delivered with real power and style. It is always something of a surprise and indeed a mystery how these performers get their heads around not only singing but learning pieces in unfamiliar languages and last night we had church Slavonic and Haitian!

Alongside their more classic and challenging, and perhaps no less challenging choices, we get a selection of popular pieces, some serious yes and some, well some silly. Cyndi Lauper’s Christmas Conga perhaps the silliest and in my view not best placed as their final offering bar that excellent and rousing encore.

In a rock solid evening of music there are always highlights too and moments less so. Rebelles delivered a stunning arrangement of Stand By Me with a soaring solo at the climax that proved that white women can sing soul, a spine tingling moment for sure. In contrast the lovely Billy Joel song And So It Goes came late in the second set and the quiet and pure arrangement left a choir, no doubt already exhausted, rather exposed with some tiny pitching issues. It’s a minor quibble and one that I suspect would not have arisen had the piece been delivered earlier in the evening.

What it does prove though is that both individually and collectively Rebelles and Resound are at the very forefront of the city’s community choirs when it comes to programming and performance.

Full praise must be given to their choral leaders Sam Barton and Antonia Hyatt and their accomplished pianist Howard Beach with Francesca Urquhart on double bass and Tom Hyatt on percussion. An excellent evening of music, a terrifyingly ghastly array of Christmas jumpers and proof once again that this lot are the choir to see.

REVIEW: Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus – ‘SINGDERELLA’

Posted on by Andrew Kay

‘Tis the season to be choral, yes Christmas brings out all our excellent community choirs in a festive feast. Regular readers will have spotted the review of the World AIDS Day concert at St Mary’s in Kemptown, a taster menu of what’s to come and my word are we in for a treat.

A treat that came to pass in the rammed Dome Concert Hall for Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus (BGMC) and their annual Christmas show.

I’ll start by saying that at last the choir have found a sound and lighting team that can deliver a slick and faultless show, it sounded good and looked brilliant, a sparkling and professional presentation that any pro company would be proud of.

I will also deal with a previous bugbear of mine, that being the comedy sketches that BGMC always include. This time they were pretty much spot on, better written, better conceived and far better delivered. I loved the fairy drag mother idea and the rough, northern, downbeat diva was hilarious as was the charmingly camp prince and his world weary aide de camp, although as a pantomime scholar I will point out that Buttons works for the baron and the prince’s aide is called Dandini, Picky Picky Picky!

On then to the music and what a way to get me tearfully onside. Starting with O Holy Night brings back childhood memories of Dad and Auntie Nellie at the piano fuelled by Harvey’s Bristol Cream. And true to form it brought tears to my eyes.

BGMC are a powerful choir, huge in number and capable of delivering the sort of massive sound that one might expect from a Welsh male voice ensemble. That sound was there for sure but there was also something that I have occasionally found lacking and that is balance, a sense of dynamics that comes from being as precise in the quieter moments as they are when belting out a big popular number.

There were a few moments where perhaps the timing drifted just a little but these were few and for the most part they were on top form.

Highlights with BGMC are often found in the well chosen solos; this time was no exception. We had a first class Sondheim duet from John McPherson and Rod Edmunds and another duet of Only You from Andrew Farr and Jonathan Taylor. A tear inducing moment with a very fine version of Joni Mitchell’s River from Ben Fowler, a powerful Your Hallelujah from Jonathan Claxton, a classic and charming Till There Was You from Rod Edmunds, delightful phrasing from Adam Betteridge with a Christmas classic and once again the pure beauty of voice and theatre from Graeme Clark with The Lies Of Handsome Men.

The music team of Joe Paxton, Tim Nail and Josh Mills are driving this choir forward with confident hands and wringing from them some very fine ensemble pieces as well as those solos. And praise must also be given to some very well crafted arrangement from the music team.

This was a fully satisfying evening, a few very forgivable wobbles along the way, an audience of fans sadly peppered with rude whisperers, and what appeared to be a party of the seriously incontinent, but despite all that a great night out.

REVIEW: World AIDS Day concert at St Mary’s Church, Kemptown

Posted on by Andrew Kay

This annual World AIDS Day concert is just a small part of a massive global movement, the aim of which is to remember those lost to the AIDS pandemic and remind us that there is a huge community still, men and women living with HIV, men and women working to find cures and better treatments, and men and women in the voluntary sector providing services and support. It’s a moving event as well as a joyous one, an act of remembrance and an act of celebration.

As ever the city’s LGBTQ+ choirs and music groups and our allies gather at St Mary’s Church in Kemptown for an evening of great music. This year the show, compèred by John Borthwick, who also gave us a couple of numbers of his own, was opened by Resound.

Resound never fail to impress with their pitch perfect performances, but more importantly their precise use of dynamics. They can deliver with punch of course but they are equally impressive when singing sotto, so delicate, so delightful. And they are ambitious in their programming, this is a choir working at the very highest level.

Next came Rebelles, often heard performing with Resound but here singing alone, and what an impression they make. A few hesitant starts could easily be dismissed when they hit their stride and what a blistering solo voice that soared above an impressive arrangement of Stand By Me, Ben E King must have been smiling down on them.

The first half was rounded off by Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus and as ever this group certainly know who to deliver an impressive programme, starting with a powerful rendition of Just Can’t Get Enough. Theirs is a full sound, solid and strong and last night they were in fine voice.

After a short break with mulled wines and fruit punch, all delivered by local HIV charity Lunch Positive, the charity organisation who will receive support from the event, things opened up with the Rainbow Chorus.

Rainbow Chorus is an extraordinary group, totally inclusive and very ambitious too. They started with a very fine performance of May It Be from Lord Of The Rings and they set the bar high not only for their own set but for the second half. Seal Lullaby was charmingly delivered, Rhythm Of Life was a crowd-pleasing musical romp and they topped it all off with the challenging and complex Con Te Partiro (Time to Say Goodbye), which they nailed, no small feat!

Qukulele had the tough challenge of following, from a full on choral explosion to four musicians armed with tiny instruments. They looked terrified and that fear showed in their set, numbers that added humour to the evening but would have been bettered had they looked less terrified. But they were there, and they usually are, adding their own support to such a worthwhile event.

Next was the Actually Gay Men’s Chorus, always impressive, always smartly turned out and always a pleasure to listen to. Their set featured two solos, the only ones of the evening save for Mr Borthwick, and they both received huge applause.

To round off the evening the entire stage filled with all of the evening’s performers and they joined forces to give us a massive arrangement of Bernstein and Sondheim’s Tonight and Somewhere that sent us out into the night with a seasonal glow.

It would be wrong of me not to pay tribute to another member of the assembled team, the remarkable Marco Nardi. Marco is a BSL signer who brings something very special to the world of signing, it is often hard not to draw you eyes away from him and his dancing style.

This is always a five star event; five stars for the performers – for their dedication and their support; five stars for Lunch Positive; and the biggest five stars for what this all means.

REVIEW: ‘2:22 A Ghost Story’ @ Theatre Royal Brighton

Posted on by Andrew Kay

With the world currently filled with broomsticks and pumpkins, an Americanism that has replaced my particular love of turnip lanterns, and for you southerners, read swede for turnip, what could be better than a good ghost story?

And 2:22 A Ghost Story is a very good and very well crafted ghost story. Beautifully presented, designed and delivered, it does exactly what one might hope for – it mystifies, surprises and, at moments, shocks and, as a reviewer, to say more about the play would be doing audiences a disservice. I baulk at reviews that tell the story at the best of times, but with this kind of piece it would be disgraceful.

So all that said, and I really did enjoy this appropriately seasonal work, I had one or two misgivings.

Firstly the pitch at which the play is delivered. From the get go three of the characters are shouting, so much so that when the plot starts to develop and the anxiety and anger emerges there is nowhere for them to go. It’s full on from page one!

Against this however is the character of Ben, the working class builder made good, played so well by Joe Absolom who was recently here in The Shawshank Redemption and more than proved his worth as an actor. This time he doubles that with a measured performance that tips the balance of the story as Ben gradually opens up.

Scarily I was convinced that I had actually made eye contact with him in the foyer before the show, but he was surely in the wings… or it was a ghost…

Charlene Boyd is delightfully damaged as American psychiatrist Lauren, lurching into drunkenness through the fateful dinner party. Louisa Lytton’s fragility is tangible too and grows in intensity as events fail to be explained, and Nathaniel Curtis is every inch the arrogant academic Sam trying to debunk everyone’s willingness to believe in life after death yet at the same time protect his wife and infant daughter.

As for that infant, well here I return to my misgivings about the volume. How any child would be able to sleep through that amount of shouting is beyond belief… but then again this is a ghost story and all about belief.

2:22 A Ghost Story is showing at Theatre Royal Brighton till October 28. Tickets HERE

REVIEW: Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus: AFTER DARK @ St George’s Church, Kemptown

Posted on by Andrew Kay

With a promise of a burlesque theme in the programme of their new show After Dark, and the venue dressed to look like a Parisian cabaret theatre, it came as something of a relief that most of Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus (BGMC) kept most of their clothes on. That said, well let’s not go there yet shall we.

BGMC always put on a show and on this occasion they took a very different route by ditching the comedy skits, an element that has not always worked, and choosing a strong theme and an equally sturdy compère in the shape of Mr David Rumelle – a seasoned performer with a fine voice and presence. Giving him two solo numbers was a great idea as he really nailed them both.

The theme of After Dark gave the chorus chance to explore some rather more demanding numbers too, especially in the second half when they reappeared dressed in… well let’s say dressed and semi dressed in a motley assortment of styles held together by a palette of black and purple. And what a sight it was, ranging from sexy to scary, very scary.

All this of course without mentioning the music, and on this occasion they were on top form. Their major ensemble numbers powerful as ever but also they are these days embracing the quieter moments with increased confidence and skill. The programme included some of their previous repertoire, firm favourites with both them and with their loyal audience, but there was plenty new material to enjoy and of course there were solos too and what great solos they were.

Some of the voices perhaps a little too strong for just a simple piano accompaniment but all of them very good indeed. It seems rude to mention just a few but equally rude to not heap praise on Graeme Clark for his rendition of Rough and Ready Man, boy the guy can sing but not only that, he can deliver a number with a theatricality that is pure magic. Then John McPherson gave a chilling version of Creep that had the hairs on my neck on end. His performance was equally dramatic but by employing total physical reserve, breathtaking stuff to be sure.

The second half also showed the choir tackling some far darker material too and truly exploring the theme of the evening. Of course there were moments of lightness, an hysterical and well choreographed Just a Little had us roaring with laughter and in part two a truly bonkers rendition of Lady Marmalade by four guys who bravely sported basques in a way that should perhaps never be repeated, well not in public anyway.

Musical director Tim Nail and chorus master Joe Paxton keep this fine chorus on a steady keel and their focus on using their own and exclusive arrangements is a credit to them and a word should said too for another great arrangement, this time of the Annie Lennox number No More I Love Yous by baritone Sadao Ueda.

BGMC is a fine ensemble and one the city should be proud of. Their passion and dedication is exemplary, a fine night of entertainment

REVIEW: Actually Gay Men’s Chorus: ‘Together For Christmas’

Posted on by Andrew Kay

What a joy to be treated to an evening simply packed with traditional festive merriment, well I say traditional but there were some fascinatingly untraditional arrangements in there that put a broad smile on my face.

Of late, LGBTQ+ community chorus Actually Gay Men’s Chorus (AGMC) has been doing a lot of that, they have raised the bar not only for themselves but for others too. Together With Christmas at St Mary’s Church in Kemptown started with O Holy Night which for personal reasons always makes me cry, so within moments the handkerchief was in play, and would you believe it they ended with a further rousing chorus of the same so as the lights came up those around me could spot me mopping away the tears. To be fair the AGMC version is infinitely better than that of my father and aunty Nelly, but the effect is the same.

It is exactly that sound created in this rousing carol that marks this choir so high, they simply have a full and powerful sound that speaks conviction and proves practice. It has, when at full belt, the power and resonance of say a Welsh male voice choir. And they put it to very good use. But there is also lightness of touch too and humour, they move easily from moving to mirth with practised elegance.

AGMC also includes some very fine solos and soloists but what marks them apart and often above are their arrangements and many of these are down to chorus master Samuel Cousins and accompanist Simon Gray. I was particularly captivated by one arrangement this time around that had that 1950s American musical theatre vibe to it and would not have felt out of place in a show like Seven Brides For Seven Brothers!

The balance of traditional festive fare to pop was well judged too with the pop element being on the whole restricted to medleys, always fun but never as impressive as a familiar carol or a number like Little Drummer Boy or Do You Hear What I Hear where the choir nail some fine and complex arrangements.

The soloists chosen also reflect a commitment to inclusivity, they are all good in their own way and some soaringly so. Andrew Whitelaw surely had a West End career in a previous life, and whilst not all reaching his confident delivery they all have quality and commitment and all are moving.

The addition of Maria Dunn on keyboard and Darrell Morris on percussion to Simon Gray’s piano adds further fullness to the sound and in Samuel Cousins’ hands this choir is proving to be the one to watch.

REVIEW: Actually Gay Men’s Chorus: ‘Nobody Does It Better’

Posted on by Andrew Kay

I’ve often written that the heart of a community choir is in the spirit that they evoke, that sense of collective endeavour and of joy. Actually Gay Men’s Chorus (AGMC) has always shown that spirit and that intention but this time with their vocal tribute to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee at St Mary’s Church in Kemptown what was really clear was that the choir has come of age. This was a concert of quality in every sense. The programme was well judged, the presentation was stylish and the music… well let’s take a closer look.

Opening with Parry’s arrangement of I Was Glad was a stunning and powerful start to the evening and my god, they delivered it with heart, demonstrating that the chorus has both power and balance. That power and balance continued to be demonstrated in Anthem from the musical Chess and then a medley of Lloyd Webber hits culminating in the first of an evening of excellent solos as Andrew Whitlaw came forward to perform Sunset Boulevard. Whitlaw’s voice is excellent but he can also perform a song with the skill of an actor, a couple of simple and understated gestures brought the whole thing to life.

I also love the fact that AGMC use the whole choir in the arrangement of their solo choices adding real depth to each.
It’s at this point that I am struck by three things they are displaying – dynamics, precision and phrasing; the third lifting the evening above the a bar that they are already setting high. Phrasing to me is the element that makes all the difference, the acknowledgement that delivering the notes is not quite enough when looking to achieve a really stellar performance. Bring Him Home does just this, Les Mis done with style and with quality, and This Is The Hour does much the same.

Compère for the evening John Borthwick then adds his voice to Lionel Bart’s Oom Pah Pah, adding a suitable moment of levity at this point and nailing it.

I’m no fan of Hushabye Mountain but the solo from Ian Groves is good and the choir really achieves that lush cinematic sound to the performance.

The first half concludes with a trio of Bond themes: Chris Tippett gives us Skyfall, a challenge that he rises to; Chris Jones and Michael Wates make a duet of Diamonds Are Forever; as do Gavin Bennet-Mason and James McFarlane with Nobody Does It Better, and I dare say few could have done it much better.

After the interval, and with a stylish change of costumes, they return with World in Union led by Ian Hollands. This popularised anthem, taken from Holst, is moving stuff to be sure and AGMC get it spine tinglingly right.

John Borthwick then comes forward to punch out the Tom Jones hit Delila, showing a very fine upper register and excellent diction too, there’s nothing ‘karaoke’ about any of this evening to be sure.

Next a slice of Queen for the Queen with a cleverly constructed arrangement of their hits, culminating of course with a slab of Bohemian Rhapsody. Again the section delivered with punch and precision.

Then taking things gently down Nick Paget gives us Elton John’s Your Song in a charmingly delicate performance that is followed by Carl Jenkins’ Benedictus, again a quality rendition. The penultimate offering, Read All About It led by Philip Davis, was stirring stuff.

The finale arrives with a readily recognised theme, a spot of Sweet Dreams that leads into a smile inducing medley of British Eurovision hits (thankfully resisting that saucy reveal when it comes to Making Your Mind Up, or maybe not…).

The whole evening is a triumph, the musical accompaniment from Simon Gray, Maria Dunn and Huw Jones are well thought through and performed, and Samuel Cousins‘ role as both musical director and arranger is very fine indeed, taking this accomplished chorus to a level of professionalism that deserves the standing ovation they received. I look forward to where they go next after seeing and hearing this first class, five-star performance.

Resound & Rebelles: Rebooted

Posted on by Andrew Kay

Like all Brighton and Hove’s choirs, these two fine examples have suffered in the claws of Covid. Few rehearsals or performances, illness… all have taken their toll and in addition, there has been a change of musical leadership as the long-time Resound choir director Stefan Holmström stepped down after a decade, to focus on his personal projects.

New director Sam Barton has taken up the mantle at what we thought could be the end of this scary pandemic and has done so with confidence and also with a fitting dedication to challenging this excellent choir with a programme of adventurous music that does not plod along on a menu of pop pap!

Together with the Rebelles, led by Miriam Roberts, they presented a programme of seasonal secular and sacred music that was a delight, peppering the wholesome very witty moments that leaned on the barbershop genre and the close harmonies of wartime and Hollywood sounds.

It’s always nice to see the choir break down into splinter groupings to add a variety of sounds too and I really enjoyed the moments when choir members step forward to showcase some excellent solo voices.

The programme was certainly eclectic, a little from Scandinavia, some Americana and some world folk too. All this is balanced with contemporary arrangements of traditional works. There were many highlights, a few wobbles (rapidly rescued by more confident members of the choir) and the whole held together by Sam and Miriam with the very talented Howard Beach at the piano and for some pieces Francesca Urquhart on double bass and Nick Van Vlaenderen on drums.

What always shines from these two choirs is ambition, a clear and positive approach to the challenges of new material and for we the audience the excitement of hearing new work. If I had to name a favourite from an evening of delights I would choose Frobishire Bay which saw those voices at their very best.

St George’s Kemp Town

17 December

Schools Out

Posted on by Andrew Kay
It’s 2021, almost 22, and still society is blighted by bigotry in all its ugly forms. Three years ago Latest CIC embarked on a ground-breaking project involving three Brighton & Hove Schools, empowering groups of students, to discuss, debate and debunk prejudices.
The results are amazing, these talented young people seized the opportunity to make ground-breaking television. They talk about race, gender identity, sexual preference, exclusion, heritage, entertainment, politics and so much more…
And they do it with disarming honesty and with humour, taking issues and turning them on their head with witty comedy spoofs and satirical sketches, sharing family and personal stories and culture and grilling peers and personalities about their experiences.
Most excitingly, this is all their own work, their ideas, their thoughts and writing and, above all, talent. Latest CIC made possible the making of this programme by giving students access to TV studio facilities and technology seldom available in state schools, and the opportunity for their hard work to be screened on network terrestrial television.
Schools Out is filled with laughs, insights and moving stories!
Schools Out breaks down barriers!
Schools Out gives voice to young people!
Schools Out fights prejudice!
Schools Out is thought provoking!
Schools Out is entertaining!
Schools Out is about a better, more inclusive future!
Schools Out will be screened on Latest TV, Freeview 7 and Virgin 159 on Christmas Day and will be available on YouTube and Vimeo.
Hear the powerful voices fighting for a better future.
Schools Out is funded by Brighton and Hove City Council and The Brighton Rainbow Fund.

Rainbows Return: The Rainbow Chorus

Posted on by Andrew Kay

Among the best and most popular of Brighton & Hove’s community choirs, the Rainbows returned with a triple celebration. They were here to celebrate their return to live performance, the festive season, but most movingly the life of volunteer Tricia Rupply who sadly died from Covid earlier this month. It was a touching gesture that certainly brought into perspective the reality of the pandemic and the truth that it is not yet over.

Choir director Aneesa Chaudhry certainly doesn’t let this ensemble off lightly and the programme of old favourites and new material was as varied and challenging as ever. On this occasion, they certainly rose to that challenge with some very fine singing indeed.

Community choirs are rather like rivers, sometimes they run high and at other times they run low, on Saturday night their river was bursting its banks with a rich ensemble sound, a solid lower voice presence and, despite being few in numbers, a soaring soprano sounds. It was very satisfying indeed.

Starting with an old favourite, True Colours, that full sound was given full exposure. Karl Jenkins’ beautiful Adiemus took it a step further, joyous and John Rutter’s transcription of Panis Angelicus was really excellent. I am always impressed by the range of music chosen by this choir and their seemingly fearless approach to a repertoire not simply based on pop.

Pie Jesu followed allowing that soaring soprano to really showcase their talent, and O Holy Night never fails to bring a tear to my eye.

Next, a couple of seasonal classics, which in my view set off too slowly and in doing so revealed a few cracks, nice enough but taken at a brisker pace they could have been better.

The first part ended with a striking arrangement of Paul Simon’s Bridge Over Troubled Water, but more of that later.

Part two kicked off with a moving arrangement of Sinead O’Connor’s In This Heart, very lovely indeed, followed by Fix Youand then Rise Up, all beautifully sung. I was less impressed by the arrangement of Human, the arrangement I say and not their performance. A Million Voices was far more impressive and then a couple of Christmas songs that we were allowed to join in.

Finally an interesting and effective arrangement of The First Noel with Pachabel’s Canon, very nice indeed.

The evening was punctuated by short speeches from choir members relating what the choir had meant to them during the last two years of restrictions and lockdowns, some very moving and some not short of humour.

For an encore, they re-sang the Paul Simon, Bridge Over Troubled Water. The first time round I was unsure but in this reprise, they nailed it, they sang it with a confidence that made sense of the arrangement.

The Rainbows have certainly returned and with renewed height and brilliant colour.

Andrew Kay

St George’s Kemp Town

11 December

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