The Music Appreciation Group

Leader:  Mike Stow - musicapp@ashbyu3a.co.uk - 01530 469152

1st April

Not an April Fools joke between us, shame. We were joined by new member Pete for the first time, welcome Pete and he started the session with that popular classic ‘Summertime’. Not by Ella but by the Modern Jazz Quartet. Very different but very good. Mike then played a duet from Barbra Streisand’s latest CD singing ‘The very thought of you’ with a mystery singer who only Nev guessed – Bob Dylan! Barbra’s voice is still amazing at age 83. Bob’s is less so!

We then had show tracks from Les Miserables and Jodie Prenger as Nancy singing ‘As long as he needs me’ from ‘Oliver’

Neil then chose Brenda Lee and ‘Fool number one’ while Janet chose Paul McCartney’s ‘Blackbird’

Yogi’s first video was the Kovcheg Male Voice Ensemble singing Rachmaninov’s ‘We praise thee’. Lovely harmonies, and Andy chose Sarah Beattie and Eleonore Cockerham’s ‘When I survey’ with equally lovely harmonies.

Nev then offered Fairport Convention with the wonderful voice of Sandy Denny singing ‘Who knows where the time goes’
That was followed by Joan Baez singing the operetta ‘Bachianas Brasileirus’ by Vila Lobos. Not her usual style by any means but lovely.

We then had Connie Francis and ‘Who’s sorry now’ and Luke Evans ‘First time ever I saw your face’. At least as good as Roberta Flack’s well known version.

Next up was a cleverly put together video of Marc Almond and Gene Pitney supposedly singing together ‘Something’s gotten hold of my heart’ Very clever editing.

Mike had found a 2019 video clip from ‘The Voice’ where Tom Jones turned around for a young singer only to find out he was Pete Donegan, son of Lonnie. Tom said “Lonnie wrote ‘I’ll never fall in love again’ for me. Do you know it?. Do you want to sing it together?” Which they did. An amazing impromptu version with Tom’s voice as good as ever at age 79 then.

That was followed by Frank Sinatra and ‘That’s Life’, Sammy Davis Jr in the film Sweet Charity with ‘The rhythm of life’. A very late-sixties vibe to that.

We finished with St Pauls Cathedral Choir singing Allegri’s ‘Allegri Miserere’ followed by the Stellenbosch Choir and ‘Indodana’ a Zulu Easter hymn. Beautifully sung.