Fresh from their role in the King’s Coronation weekend concert at Windsor, Actually Gay Men’s Chorus came up with a programme of local songs involving local people.
Opening with the power-packed sea shanty Wellerman, they followed up with an ensemble version of the Pearl Fishers duet, which lost none of its colour. Written as a World War I marching song, Sussex By The Sea now sounds rather jingoistic and gung-ho, but it’s still a rousing piece in this choir’s hands, and those of its energetic conductor Samuel Cousins.
It’s a fact, we were told, that at one time four out of five men along our coast were fishermen,
Keeping the patriotic theme going, we had drag star Kara Van Park – our hostess for the show – who gave us the ironic recruitment song packed with sexual innuendo I’ll Make A Man Of You, which is connected to Brighton through the film Oh! What a Lovely War which was made in the city.
More factoids from Kara followed – in 1912 the film industry started not in Hollywood but in Shoreham – bet you’re glad you know that. Ian Fleming wrote Chittty Chittty Bang Bang in Hove and HG Wells, who penned War Of The Worlds, lived locally for a long time.
Armed with this info, it was a delight to hear Philip Davies as soloist, backed by the chorus in the haunting Hushabye Mountain. That’s What Friends Are For was given a staccato treatment, again with marching rhythms and a hint of barbershop. Tom Slater-Hyndman gave us a touchingly beautiful Forever Autumn. His gentle high notes gave a melancholy feeling, with great vocal colouring.
Then it all got a jolly bit silly, thanks to Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pinafore and Pirates operettas. Jack Lynn donned a seaman’s cap and gave us a frankly implausible butch sailor dreaming of “his Nancy on his knee”.
The second half gave us a rousing ensemble version of We Are What We Are, and then a stunning rendition by Kara of Sideshow’s Who Will Love Me As I Am, showing the true emotional power of this ex-West End star.
Colour My World, from Priscilla, had rousing harmonies, and Bring On The Men, from Jekyll and Hyde, was deliciously and suggestively renedered by Patrick Bullock.
And later we got Nick Paget’s powerful delivery of a song associated with Pride – A Thousand Years. It was stunning.
Two fun medleys ended the evening – a rapid tour through Eurovision, and a Jewel In The Crown mash-up, arranged by Samuel Cousins, which included Sweet Dreams, In Your Own World, Fat Bottomed Girls, Hey Jude and Life On Mars.
A fun evening, even though there were wobbly moments to start with due to an over-enthusiastic sound system. To be honest, this group is so good they don’t need amplification.
I look forward to their Christmas outing, when we are past this blistering weather.
The show was at St Mary’s Kemptown, and raised funds for the Clock Tower Sanctuary, a drop-in day centre for 16-25 year olds who experience homelessness. CLICK HERE for more information.
