‘Life is a cabaret, old chum….’
This was the opening line from the Chairperson’s welcome as he introduced Waterside Musical Society’s 1968 Connections. With 50 years behind them, this concert celebrates the society’s highlights across the years as well as some interesting items from the year of 1968.
There is a sense of community spirit from the moment you walk into the venue and this is such a reassurance in today’s climate. Sometimes in the amateur dramatic world there is no need for lavish sets, costume changes or even special lighting effects and last night was a good example of this, because of the enthusiasm and enjoyment shown by every member on the stage. This was a showcase of talent and celebration and what made it so special was the intimacy of the evening. The members even served you a ‘cuppa’ during the interval!
The programme consisted of songs from musical theatre, soul, pop and even a hint of Disney! Group highlights for me included ‘Food glorious food’, ‘Hushabye Mountain’, ‘Any dream will do’ and a joyful rendition of ‘Lily the pink’. Solo performances worthy of mention were ‘Look to the rainbow’ performed by Claire Tollervey and David Outlet, ‘People’ sung beautifully by Christobel Thomas, and ‘What a wonderful world’ performed graciously by Lisa Phillips. If I could mention every song then I would; each one was enjoyable in its own right.
Another slick element to the performance was the hosting and compèring, which was shared by many members. Not only did this add to the smooth running of the performance, but it felt fast-moving and interesting. Also, the diction was impeccable by everyone – which is not always the case these days! Finally, credit must be awarded to musical director, Rosemary Butler. It’s certainly not easy to teach people to sing in four-part harmony, but she did this tremendously well.
If you can, catch this show before it’s too late! You will not be disappointed. This concert was the first of three tour dates as WMS perform at St Andrew’s Church, Dibden Purlieu, on 23 March and Trinity Church, Totton, on 24 March, both at 7.30.
‘…come to the cabaret!’