Didsbury Delight

On the way to our performance I noticed a lot of young people, mostly men, out and about, clearly gathering together for the England versus Mexico World Cup match. Would this mean a low turnout for our 9pm concert? As it happens, no, the Didsbury Baptist Church, which is our usual rehearsal venue, was full of a very appreciative audience. It was a delightful and spirited performance and our choir director Rose Hodgson was on great form especially when she got the audience to join in and sing I Believe that one fine day with the choir in a four part round!

We began with Chanson which poses the question ‘Who in the world is singing?’ and very clearly it was us the choir. This was followed by the classic Let the River Run written by Carly Simon in the 1989 and it continues to amuse and bewilder me. Then the poignant When Love Had No Road that draws on a poem by Clare Shaw with music by Ali Burns. Next the slightly strange Macedonian/Bulgarian Sto Me E Milo.

Following our song with the audience we sang Under the Shelter. Again, very poignant and so relevant to the challenging times we now live in – ‘Under the shelter of one another/We will survive.’ Then another song from the 1980s - You're the Voice – that encourages us to stand up and sing out against oppression..
 

We needed a gentle ending and offered Let the Light Come Shining through – ‘Let’s not be swallowed by the darkness of this night, oh no/Take a breath and join our hands, raise our voices/Always so much we can do to let the light come shining through.’ It was a real joy.

William West