Blue skies over Eaton

On Sunday 2nd September 2012 I attended The Jay Singers concert in the Eaton Concert Series at St. Andrew's Church, Eaton, Norwich. This was a wonderful afternoon to be in Eaton at the first concert in the 2012/13 Series. The Jay Singers were directed by Neil MacKenzie who was a founder member of The Sixteen. Piano accompaniment was provided by Neil Ricketts.

The programme consisted of Full fathom five (from The Tempest) - Shakespeare, Full fathom five - Charles Wood, Look, stranger - W H Auden, Just as the tide - Ralph Vaughan Williams, The Lover's ghost - Ralph Vaughan Williams, Neither out far nor in deep - Robert Frost, Break, break, break - Alfred, Lord Tennyson, There rolls the deep - Hubert Parry, The sea hath its pearls - Ciro Pinsuti, Walking Across the Atlantic - Billy Collins, Fear of Falling - Jehane Markham, Seal Lullaby - Eric Whitacre and Three Shakespeare songs - Ralph Vaughan Williams. There was an interval of 20 minutes and time for a refreshing apple juice before an exciting second half to the concert.

After the interval the programme consisted of Sea Fever - John Masefield, Cargoes - John Masefield, I love my love - Gustav Holst, Matelot - Noel Coward, arr Vlasto, Blue Skies - Irving Berlin, arr Woods, Not waving but drowning - Stevie Smith, The Last Swim - Michael Laskey, Meerfey - Robert Schumann, Der traumende See - Robert Schumann, In Meeres Mitten - Robert Schumann, The Owl and The Pussycat - Edward Lear, Shallow Brown - Percy Grainger and I'm seventeen come Sunday - Percy Grainger.

This was a splendid afternoon of music and poetry with the theme of the Sea as The Jay Singers took us on a journey to the seaside. It was brilliant to hear a couple of Percy Grainger songs along with a reading of The Owl and The Pussycat. A fun and enjoyable concert from The Jay Singers which proved to be the perfect opening to the 2012/13 Eaton Concert Series.