St Nicolaus, Pevensey, Sunday 24 March 2019

It might seem rather risqué to sing cabaret songs in church on a fine Sunday afternoon but there was nothing in Sharon Lewis’ entertainment to upset even the most prudish of potential listeners. Even Mae West’s wonderfully tongue-in-cheek I’d rather put it off until tomorrow proves to be completely innocent by the time we get to the end.

Deco Delights brought us an overview of songs from the mid-war period, and one has to admit there was so much good music written then she must have been spoilt for choice. Starting with Love is the Sweetest Thing¸ we moved gently through I’ll string along with you, and Begin the Beguine  before getting to a more up-beat You’re the cream in my coffee  and a very sensuous Lover come back to me.

Having taken in Mae West she also gave us a touch of Josephine Baker with J’ai deux amours before warning us all It’s a sin to tell a lie.

The final two items moved us into the world of theatre with Can’t help loving that man of mine and Summertime, with its high-lying line sitting very comfortably in her voice. There was just time for Everything stops for tea before it did just that and large amounts of cake were on offer while the tea came round.

Throughout Sharon Lewis was deftly accompanied by her composer husband Paul Lewis from the keyboard and his playing frequently underlined the humour of the songs. The rolling rhythms of Begin the Beguine were particularly apt.

The next concert on 27 April brings us a solo harp and promises to be as entertaining as this series continues to prove to be.