BRIGHTON GAY MEN’S CHORUS: PUT A RING ON IT
There are many qualities that spring to mind when speaking of the BGMC, entertainment, fun, dedication and community. That of course and musicality and there is no doubt that behind all that has to be the teaming of Tim Nail, Joe Paxton and now Josh Mills, their combined talents certainly bring to the fore the qualities of the choir and drive their ambition.
On this occasion the theme was same sex marriage with a programme that loosely referred to matrimony and love, and perhaps leaned more towards love as there are as yet very few songs that directly reference same sex weddings. The chorus, fewer in number on this outing, usually pepper their concerts with comic sketches but this time round we were treated to filmed interviews with married members of the choir, some a little long, the sound not always clear, but on the whole they were moving and some very funny indeed. Real stories spoken from the heart I found far more entertaining that silly skits, just my view, but there it is.
The concert opened with Fabulous Baby from the musical Sister Act and it was delivered with panache, the choir showing that they can punch out a big number with conviction and class. This was followed by Somewhere In My Heart before Jason Brown stepped forward to deliver a touching if slightly nervous I Get To Love You, a delightful voice and the nerves adding in a way a sensitivity.
Next Both Sides Now, a Joni Mitchell song that I love in an arrangement that I did not love. It felt heavy handed and lacked the delicacy of Mitchell and her very special phrasing. Again just me, the audience loved it.
Sadly the next scheduled duet had to be dropped due to illness and after that two Taylor Swift songs that I enjoyed but had never heard before, that Swift phenomenon has simply passed me by.
This was followed by the first real highlight of the evening. I have always thought that Kern, Woodhouse and Hammerstein’s musical Showboat is one of the most important works of musical theatre of the 20th century and Bill the best song in the show. John McPherson nailed it, a beautifully sung rendition but one made the more beautiful by being sung with dramatic skill and with heart. In a celebration of gay marriage a love song sung by a man about a man had real poignancy.
Next a bit of Cher, what BGMC concert would not be lifted by a bit of Cher and then sadly, again due to ill health another lost duet. But immediately a thunderingly good slice of Dusty with I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten in a brilliant arrangement form Tim Nail.
We headed into the interval with Boom Bang-a-Bang, the Lulu Eurovision number that always puts a smile on faces.
The second half opened with the chorus taking to the stage dressed for a wedding and yes there were some very scary brides in the crowd and a sense that there would not be a charity shop between Hastings and Portsmouth with a discarded wedding gown in their stock for some time. Dressed in this way they launched into a complex arrangement of Single Ladies that would have had Beyonce gasping for breath. Joe Paxton was certainly putting the men to task with this one and they pulled it off, as did he in a bizarre white dress and six inch heels! And Tim Nail’s arrangement of Donna Summer’s Love’s Unkind kept the mood very upbeat before Joe Christophersen came forward to sing the delightful The Luckiest with a touchingly sensitive and sweet voice. And it was followed by the gentle delight of the Humming Chorus from Madama Butterfly which came across very well indeed.
Much as I think Showboat is important West Side Story has equal importance in the development of musical theatre and behind all the big numbers lies the perfectly formed One Hand One Heart, Bernstein and Sondheim at their best. It’s a tough one to get right but John McPherson and Rod Edmunds did it proud and brought tears to eyes, mine included. It’s moments like these that make you realise just how hard the choir works and how lucky we are to have them as part of our community.
That moment of magic raised a huge response from the audience but we were brought back to earth with some ubiquitous ABBA, they did, they did, they did… and why not, but I ask whether they really needed to.
Graeme Clark Dempster has become a core soloist with the choir, the man has a beautiful voice and can act a song, but this time he started by telling his own story. It was well written, funny, provocative and ultimately very moving. And then, well then he sing Could I Leave You? more brilliant Sondheim, bitter and twisted and the perfect vehicle for this guy’s undeniable talents.
Back came the choir with Annie Lennox’s No More I Love You’s, a lovely arrangement that hangs on a simple repeating piano figure and doobie doos. Now there were a lot of doobie doos across the evening, but in this case they are written into the original and work beautifully.
An unexpected treat next for fans of The Divine Comedy with the song Our Mutual Friend. I am a fan and I love Love Neil Hannon’s lyrics, but they are not easy, not written as verse but in a strange almost confessional form. For Tim Nail to have created such a great arrangement of this is one huge achievement, for the choir to pull it off a miracle, but they did and it put a huge smile on my face.
It’s is becoming a regular feature of a BGMC event that we get a very funny number and on this occasion it was My First… from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. McGoldrick, Waite and Ueda stepped it out with cheeky grins, a costume reveal and plenty of sass, and long may they continue to pepper the show with these gems.
Then Tim Nail is back at it with another huge choral challenge with The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte. Fans of Sparks may well know this but for many it was a rather surprising choice. Sparks have always trodden a dangerous path musically and lyrically. I love them, and I thoroughly enjoyed this bonkers version of an utterly bonkers song.
Back to earth with Heroes, not Bowie, but pretty good and to finish Just Can’t Get Enough, the Depeche Mode classic that makes everyone smile.
BGMC go from strength to strength and never fail to deliver a full on evening of musical delights and this time round a strong and moving message of love and equality. I laughed and yes I cried – and what more can you hope for?
Andrew Kay
27 July
St George’s Kemp Town
Rating:
