Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus: Dreaming Of Christmas

Another seasonal offering from this excellent choir confirms that Christmas is here with a  programme of sparkling festive songs and pop classics. But this time also a smattering of more challenging fare that pushes the members to higher heights of musical achievement and made the evening all the more memorable. It’s wonderful to see them challenged in this way and for every more challenging work I am sure they are more able to deliver the pop classics that they do so well with that extra element of excellence. The BGMC are blessed with some very fine soloists too and once again Sadao Ueda delivered a moving number, Everybody Hurts, with his usual emotional delivery. Adam Betteridge and Nick Ford also triumphed with a soaring rendition of The Prayer. There were other excellent solos too, far too many to mention here but all of an equal standard. The BGMC cannot resist some comedy and this year it was pared down to a running sketch with a moral tale, still a little too much for my taste but certainly better and Andy Williams and Jon Taylor gave us more fun with All I want For Christmas This Year. There was also a guest spot from Fake Bush, by far the best Kate Bush Tribute act around but oh how we wanted to here Fake (Lucy) partnered with Nick Ford for an extraordinary delivery of Wuthering Heights, what a missed opportunity! On the down side the evening was cluttered by being overly illuminated, or should I say the church was over lit. More light on the singers please and fewer rainbows on the vaulting and no disco dancing Christ on the cross please!. Tiny points but one cannot help feeling that this “over-production” detracts from what is one of the city’s finest choirs.

All Saints Hove

15 December

Andrew Kay

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