The Parkinsongsters

St John the Evangelist, Hollington, Thursday 26th July 2018

The Parkinsongsters brought us Songs for a Summer Eve on a delightfully warm evening, providing music we all knew and loved. The sixteen singers under their conductor Jane Metcalfe opened with Sumer is icomen in and bounced immediately into Spread a little happiness, before whisking us away to Venice for the Barcarolle from the Tales of Hoffmann.

The first of a number of solos came from Bernard Crosby who encouraged us to join in And her mother came to which was followed by another familiar Ivor Novello song Rose of England. Having flirted their way through You are my honeysuckle the choir had a break while Karen McInally sang for us. I have to admit a personal interest here, as in my youth a lady at my church regularly sang Pale Hands I Loved but I don’t think I have heard it since. It is a wonderful Edwardian ballad and was given all the sentimentality it needs. However before this we had enjoyed There are fairies at the bottom of my garden – just to set the right tone!

A Colour Medley followed – too many tunes to list them all – but it included Silver threads among the gold from Ged Hitchman and Julie White. The final items included a gentle Summertime, a raucous Torna a Surriento, Bryan Skinner singing Drink to me only and all of us joining in Oom pah pah. There was just time before refreshments for a final chorus of Bring me sunshine, leaving us all wanting more and looking forward to next time.