Enjoyable afternoon of music with the ParkinSongsters

St John the Evangelist, Hollington, 29 July 2019: HOT music correspondent Brian Hick enjoyed a welcome return to St John’s by the ParkinSongsters, a choir consisting of Parkinson sufferers and their supporters, for another afternoon of popular songs and music-making.

Introducing the event, the choir’s conductor and organiser Jane Metcalfe said we were in for an afternoon of English songs but immediately launched into When Johnny comes marching home! This slightly tongue-in-cheek approach set the tone for a highly enjoyable session which had opened with The Sun Has Got His Hat On and concluded with Bring Me Sunshine.

In between we had folk songs – Oh No John and Linden Lea – alongside extended excerpts from The Pirates of Penzance and a wistful rendition of Steal Away. We were back in the US towards the end of the programme with a selection of mid-twentieth century hits following an upbeat version of Bernstein’s America.

To give the singers a slight respite we heard two solo operatic arias from Maya Godlonton-White – Vivaldi’s Vieni, vieni o mio diletto and Mozart’s popular Voi che sapete – before the choir gave us La chi darem la mano from Don Giovanni.

A large audience on a warm afternoon were understandably enthusiastic, which was certainly deserved for all involved, not least Jane Metcalfe galvanising her forces, but also Duncan Reid at the piano. We look forward to a regular series here.

More on the ParkinSongsters.

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