St John’s Hollington, 21^st September 2019

Even if it was Even More Even Stephens, it was a very entertaining evening and it certainly didn’t suffer from repetition. This, their third performance, at St  John’s, was supported by a large appreciative audience.   Their appeal and fan club is obviously growing.

Steve Corke and Stephen Page presented a wide variety of music and song, which not only showed off their talents, but entertained all.  We had music and songs from Bach to Flanders and Swann; songs from musicals such as Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver, Jekyll and Hyde and Jesus Christ Super Star, and Steve Corke’s rich but gentle baritone paid great tribute to Matt Munro.  Stephen Page played piano and organ with great virtuosity and expertise. He announced that he wanted to ‘present the different sides to an organ’, and so he did. We heard  Bachs,’Fantasy in G minor’ and ‘Blaze Away’ and much more played expertly.  He did great justice to the piano also. His playing of ‘Autumn’, a reflective and melodic piece was quite haunting.

Many items were humorous particularly Steve’s organ accompaniment to Stephens’ piano, several of their duets, and Stephen’s piano playing of Dance of Three Old Ladies.

It was a richly varied and highly imaginative programme.

Part of the evening’s entertainment, and such is the attraction of this duo, was to have the programme cryptic; thus an item entitled Organ with a Twist was an Oliver medley and A filthy Number  was Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud. It was a delightful mixture of popular and lesser known pieces presented in a relaxed and friendly style.  It was all very good. Thank You! Please, let’s have even, even more!

Rev Bernard Crosby

Manor Barn, Bexhill, 22^nd September 2019

Opera South East had something of a whirlwind weekend with three concerts on successive days in very disparate venues. They came to a highly successful end at the Manor Barn, packed to standing-room-only by a capacity audience, enhanced by German exchange visitors. Quite what they must have made of Gilbert’s lyrics is another matter, but the continuing relevance of his satire on English society is not in doubt.

The programme brought us an overview of all the major G&S works and included excerpts at the end from Utopia Ltd – a fine a cappella chorus – and a somewhat unusual drinking song from The Grand Duke. Before that, the many solo items gave a chance for a wide range of singers to demonstrate their vocal prowess and there were particularly impressive contributions from David Woloszko as both Judge and Mikado, Gary Marriott as Frederick and Marco, Ruth Parsons as Mabel and Maya Godlonton-White as Yum-Yum. Karen McInally, who had organised the semi-staging of the event, chilled us as the Fairy Queen but delighted with the praise for free booze! Oscar Smith introduced each of the selections and made his own fine contribution with the Nightmare Song from Iolanthe, and an Oscar Wilde would-be from Patience.

Kenneth Roberts directed from the keyboard at the back of the hall, managing to keep his often disparate forces well in check even when they were moving swiftly between the rows of chairs and dancing.

Opera South East return with Amahl and the Night Visitors in November and The Mikado will follow next April.

Manor Barn, Bexhill, 22^nd September 2019

Opera South East had something of a whirlwind weekend with three concerts on successive days in very disparate venues. They came to a highly successful end at the Manor Barn, packed to standing-room-only by a capacity audience, enhanced by German exchange visitors. Quite what they must have made of Gilbert’s lyrics is another matter, but the continuing relevance of his satire on English society is not in doubt.

The programme brought us an overview of all the major G&S works and included excerpts at the end from Utopia Ltd – a fine a cappella chorus – and a somewhat unusual drinking song from The Grand Duke. Before that, the many solo items gave a chance for a wide range of singers to demonstrate their vocal prowess and there were particularly impressive contributions from David Woloszko as both Judge and Mikado, Gary Marriott as Frederick and Marco, Ruth Parsons as Mabel and Maya Godlonton-White as Yum-Yum. Karen McInally, who had organised the semi-staging of the event, chilled us as the Fairy Queen but delighted with the praise for free booze! Oscar Smith introduced each of the selections and made his own fine contribution with the Nightmare Song from Iolanthe, and an Oscar Wilde would-be from Patience.

Kenneth Roberts directed from the keyboard at the back of the hall, managing to keep his often disparate forces well in check even when they were moving swiftly between the rows of chairs and dancing.

Opera South East return with Amahl and the Night Visitors in November and The Mikado will follow next April.

St Peter’s Church, Bexhill, 22nd September 2019

Sussex Concert Orchestra presented a matinee of Baroque works at St Peter’s under their regular conductor Kenneth Roberts. Opening with William Boyce’s early First Symphony they moved rapidly on to Handel’s Organ Concerto in F major more familiarly known as the Cuckoo and the Nightingale. Organist Anthony Wilson provided clean high registration for the Allegro with its bird song, and a more profound tone for the melancholic central fugue.

The orchestra was then joined by Hastings Bach Choir for two brief but effective movements from Bach cantatas before the afternoon concluded with Bach’s 2^nd Brandenburg Concerto. This proved to be the highlight of the day with its fine balance of solo instruments and superb playing from Andy Gill’s high, bright piccolo trumpet and the warmth of Thomas Pickering’s recorder.