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