ESK COMMUNITY CHOIR HIT THE HEIGHTS WITH ‘BROADWAY TO THE STARS’

 

Esk Community Choir 2023

It was only a matter of weeks prior to their two performance days when the Esk Community Choir’s presentation of ‘Les Misérables - in Concert’ was incontestably thwarted.  Time to dream a new dream and in a flash, ‘Broadway to the Stars – Including Songs from Les Misérables’ was forged.

On a perfectly spotless Esk Sunday afternoon on September 10th, concert goers trickled through the Somerset Civic Centre doors, heading with hope to the raffle ticket sellers, then found their places around the beautifully bedecked tables, rendering the auditorium a replica of a Bistro on Broadway, all by this time wrestling with curiosity about that which awaited behind the drawn stage curtains.

The following Saturday afternoon, this time in Laidley, it was again a case of glitz and grandeur as concert goers, sated by a sensational lunch catered for by the lovely ladies from Laidley Lutheran Caterers, were in for the repeat of a darn good time as ‘Broadway to the Stars- Including Songs from Les Misérables’ once again came to life on the splendid stage of the Laidley Cultural Centre.

At the outset at both venues, allaying any discombobulation amongst concert goers, Choir Director, Alexis FitzGerald OAM welcomed all comers warmly and acquainted all with the eloquent emcee de jour, Grace Crichton. Then, as the curtain yawned open for the Choir’s electrifying entry, it was all aboard for a great big Broadway musical journey. 

The Happy Tappers 
Grace, Helene, Eric, Susan, Kathie 

Kicking off with the ultimate Althouse and Emmerson blockbusters ‘We’re Gonna Put on a Show’ and ‘The Golden Age of Broadway’ this was the embodiment of everything ‘Broadway’, setting the scene for the repertoire of runaway hits to come.  Concert goers came alive to the well-loved melodies and songs firstly, to Patrina McLeod’s impassioned solo performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Love Changes Everything’; Denis Hawes and Bob Hardy created musical magic with Bizet’s ‘In the Depths of the Temple’;  the lyrics of Billy Hill’s ‘The Glory of Love’ can be both profound and uplifting but here there was no doubting the choir’s spirited depiction of this song.

It has been documented that when Guiseppe Verdi passed away and was subsequently interred alongside his wife at the Casa di Riposo, a young Arturo Toscanini conducted a choir of eight hundred who sang his most moving libretto ‘Va, pensiero’ aka ‘Chorus of Hebrew Slaves’.  While the Esk Community Choir may have been slightly fewer in number, under Alexis’s inspiring direction and Ruth Skippen’s mesmerizing accompaniment, audiences could not help but be equally moved by the Choir’s red-hot rendition of this most emotive patriotic hymn.

The Choir’s brilliant paring of Philip Kern’s high energy spirituals ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’ and ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’ was the knockout finger snapping anthem to complete the first half of the programme which ushered in the draw for lucky raffle prize winners.

The costuming that presented on stage for the next item told as much about the story as the lyrics of the ‘My Fair Lady Medley’.  With a cast of choir members resplendent in the impeccable style of an Ascot Racing scene, they brought to life with aplomb some of the most loved songs from this adored Lerner and Loewe Musical.

Nola and Eric

A trio of emotive songs from the exceptional musical showstopper ‘Les Misérables’, starting with ‘At the End of the Day’ took audiences through the turmoil of the poor and oppressed in 19^th Century Paris through the students’ uprising  with ‘One Day More’ to the climactic soul-stirring sounds of the finale ‘Do You Hear the People Sing’ performed by the entire company of singers, the anthem depicting the coming of a better world.  From start to finish, a stellar performance eliciting rousing acclamation by a thoroughly approving audience.

Do You Hear the People Sing 

To deliver a perfectly polished performance many behind the scenes facets of a production often go unheralded.  To this end, for their brilliant skills with sound and lighting must go many accolades to Chayne and Jacquie Walsh, assisted by Roland Cox, who have on these and other occasions created superior sound and visuals for both performers and audiences alike. To the catering queens at both venues for delivering such sumptuous sustenance; to the unquestioned support of the Somerset Civic Centre and the Lockyer Performing Arts Group, and  to all our sponsors and supporters whose generosity is key to the success of our events; to Brian Crichton who was kind enough to view most of the performances through a camera lens;  to our accompanists, Ruth Skippen and Alexis for their faultless accompaniments but moreover, to Alexis who constantly feeds our souls with beautiful music in so many forms and in doing so, transforms our lives,  we of the Choir give our sincere thanks.

By: Sue Walker

Nola, Alan, Sue Cox and Roger

Roly

Ruth and Jo