Memories are made of this

TAOS concert at St. Andrew's  reviewed by Margery Smith

 

14 May 2006

 

As the sound of music rang out in St Andrew’s Church, the audience enjoyed an enchanted evening provided by Taunton Amateur Operatic Society’s Charity Entertainers with their concert, Musical Memories.  Even without mikes, there was no question of can you hear the people sing and no possibility of losing my mind through boredom! A little bit of luck ensured that when the keyboard disconnected itself from the power supply, there was no danger of anyone saying let’s call the whole thing off!  And at the end of the evening, it was a proven fact that there’s no business like showbusiness!

 

Ladies - eight men and ten ladies sang their way through a wide variety of choruses, solos and duets from the musicals, ranging from American shows like Oklahoma, South Pacific and Showboat, through a snatch of Gilbert & Sullivan, to current West End block-busters such as Les Miserables and Chess.  Frances Walker and Terry Lad hit the high notes with popular solos So in love (Kiss Me Kate) and The sun whose rays are all ablaze (Mikado) and Sarah Whittaker had the audience eating out of her hand with Bill

(Showboat). 

 

- and Gentlemen

But the two male soloists probably stole the show.  Magnus Stewart demonstrated why he had recently won a theatre prize with his performance of Emil in South Pacific, when he sang Some Enchanted Evening and This nearly was mine.   Les Skidmore didn’t just sing – does he ever?  He was the Mikado in the first half, and in the second half he was Arthur Doolittle from My Fair Lady.  Some amusing “business” with Frances in Wunderbar (Kiss Me Kate), a bit of Flanders and Swan and a very bashful performance of Wot Vor Do Ee Luv I?  meant he was kept pretty busy all evening, to the audience’s delight.

 

See them on stage

The concert was directed by Keith Smith and brilliantly accompanied by Chris Ball, not least when the music for one number was not to be found – so he busked it!  Not many people noticed, so skillfully was it done.  And of course, it’s the accompanist who works non-stop!

 

The concert raised about £200 for church funds, so grateful thanks are due to TAOS.  Don’t miss their production of the Broadway version of Pirates of Penzance in October.  It’s a lively, upbeat, swashbuckling show and probably how Gilbert & Sullivan would have written it, if they were writing it now – says I!

To visit the TAOS website please click here.