REVIEW: Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus – ‘Retrospective’

Going into St George’s Church this evening, there was an air of expectation of a great night ahead. With gold and silver balloons strung across the walls and a big screen taking centre stage, it felt like a family get together in that dead week between Christmas and New Year when you settle down in front of the television and watch continuous broadcasting of the hits of 2024!

You know you’ll love the songs – you’ve heard them many times before – and they are all favourites but… Hold on… This is the Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus (BGMC)! Yes, the songs are familiar and, yes, we know they will be good, but remember: this is not any old chorus. This is BGMC resplendent in the traditional red braces on black and then with pink and blue braces on white, led with passion and individuality by Joe Paxton, Tim Nail and Josh Mills, not forgetting Erik Jacobsen who played for Rhythm of Life and Our Mutual Friend then scurried away down the aisle as Joe invited Tim and Josh to take their bow!

Two things stood out from the start. One was that there were no noticeable flashing lights until subtle colour changes at the end for Vogue. The other was that the sketches (love’em or hate ‘em) were replaced by poignant, informative and, often, humorous videos. rather than being historical background to the last 20 years, they were tributes to what being in the chorus means to its members. Meaningful and illuminating, our emotions were stretched 110% as, in Olivier Awards style, photos and names of chorus members who have passed, were shown as the men sang One Moment in Time.

Sadly, I knew all these gentlemen as they were mostly from the earlier years when I worked for three years with the chorus on the creative side. A photo in my study, shows the group I did the Barbican show for, with Sandie Shaw, in 2009. The photo shows under 40 people, the group is now over 130 with nearly 90 on stage tonight. That’s progress!

Lifting the spirits up, Chris Sarson and fellow chorus member Colin Blake told us of the infamous and glorious funerals of Ian Gurn Hill and Michael Davis. I was at both funerals and can confirm the stories!

Music-wise, one can only praise the quality of the chorus which goes from strength to strength. The dynamics are amazing  and the power they sing with can take the roof off – and with minimum mic system. Wrecking Ball, Toxic, Human Heart, Waterloo, It’s a Sin, Run, Stop, Life on Mars and Hung Up amongst my favourites, but they were all excellent.

The soloists shone as ever. I’ve seen Andy Williams since he first joined- then a shy and intense performer. Look at him now with his Music Hall song – Stephen Tucker would be proud.

Graeme Clarke Dempster excelled in The Caveman Song – worthy of a West End stage as were the brilliant quartet performing Turn it Off from Book of Mormon.

Sadeo Uedo and Rod Edmunds can do no wrong in my eyes and I always love how you can hear a pin drop as they sing, with such sincerity, and Nick Ford manages to bring humour to Wuthering Heights as well as giving us a totally believable Kate Bush!

Ben Fowler allowed me to realise, for the first time, what Running up that Hill is actually all about and Andrew Farr/aka Edith Piaf, is always so special.

Congratulations to Joe Paxton and all involved. Let us all remember the quote given after the song Secret Love – ”we are all everybody”.

All pics courtesy of Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus