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THERE’S nothing quite like a carol concert to get you in the mood for the festive season and December got off to a cracking start with the Inspire Singers producing a programme of sing-a-long favourites and some new numbers too.
This was a family affair on and off the stage in more ways than one with baton-waving Lydia Martin, sporting a sparkly cat’s tail, conducting most of the show, as well as occasionally sitting behind the piano and later leaping on stage to join the singers.
The 50-strong choir and backing musicians including pianist Jill Laping – mostly sporting T-shirts to promote this coming weekend’s CATS musical at the same venue and some donning flashing Santa hats likely to highlight the main man’s interval appearance – shone brightly throughout.
There were many highlights of the concert, instead of the usual soloist starting Once in Royal David’s City the Inspire Choir allowed a trio of vocalists to set the mood, Lydia’s young son Xavier showed that eccentricity is clearly in the genes by picking up fallen tinsel from the stage during Away in a Manger and the haunting Mary Did You Know by Mark Lowry and Buddie Green produced goosebumps on the arms of this reviewer.
Whoever designed this enclosed netball court has somehow conjured up supreme acoustics which bodes well for coming shows to be staged at this venue.
If I have to be a scrooge, I would suggest choirs avoid Slade’s So Here It Is Merry Christmas unless Noddy Holder is invited to the party but, apart from that, if Lydia and the gang’s goal was to ‘feel the joy’ they certainly achieved it.
– Stan Szecowka
