The Parkinsongsters at St John The Evangelist in Hollington

The Parkinsongsters brought us Songs For A Summer Eve on a delightfully warm evening, providing music we all knew and loved.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st Aug 2018, 17:16 BST
Updated 2nd Sep 2018, 02:52 BST
St John The Evangelist, Hollington SUS-180108-160856001St John The Evangelist, Hollington SUS-180108-160856001
St John The Evangelist, Hollington SUS-180108-160856001

The sixteen singers under their conductor Jane Metcalfe opened with Sumer Is Icumen 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 Too which was followed by another familiar Ivor Novello song Rose of England.

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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. By Brian Hick.