The thing about the September concert is it’s a funny old event. It’s not really summer, it’s not really autumn… it’s not really the choir but it’s not NOT the choir….. it’s not even really an audience sometimes, just people we know… and us… being the audience. 
The usual mix of choir and groups made this September concert a particularly special one. We started with a small group of spirituals, Down in the River, with Robes and Crowns all over the shop, and moved on to lovely Cesar’s gorgeous Heaven is Singing for Joy. Water is Wide had brilliant last minute solos by Jan and Cherly (remind me to never give them more than half an hour’s notice of anything) and we finished with Rutter’s Heavenly Aeroplane. 
Then the choir became the audience, as Linda and David sang of a better life in If I Want To, and ReMix dedicated Morningtown Ride to Sarah’s Mum and Sweet Baby James to Sarah’s Dad! Austin and Sarah went next with the emotional Sometimes When We Touch, and then the band took over with Chasing Cars, wonderfully sung by Tim, and a very funky Call Me Al complete with sax backing, Liz on whistle and Baz on the fiendishly difficult bass line!
Shaun kicked off the second half with Boys of Summer, then a slight set change as we had to drop the Waitress song A Soft Place to Land due to our lovely Lotte and Alice not being well enough to come back to us. Paul finished off the band section with the funky People are Strange, with brilliant organ solo by Austin. Gradually we started to invite people back, with the Ukulele group singing Come Up and See Me, ably led by Jason, then Reflect singing the beautiful Til There Was You. ReMix rejoined us for a gorgeous arrangement of Blackbird, then it was time for the return of the choir, clad in Lei, Sailor’s Hats, and shower caps to head back for a quartet of melodies from South Pacific. Nothing Like a Dame saw the men in fine voice, btu the girls were having none of it as they Washed That Man Right Out of their Hair. They joined forces for the cheerful Happy Talk, then finished with the glorious Some Enchanted Evening. Everyone had a wonderful night, and it was a really joyful celebration of both the community and the choir.