FROM the moment I arrived at the Wyvern car park I knew we were in for the usual knockout evening - the park was full and it was only 6.45pm!
It was time for the Kentwood Showcase 2015 and the foyer was heaving with hundreds of eager music lovers.
On stage, behind the platforms for the choir, was the little Big Band under the baton of Paul Maguire. The first shot of adrenalin came with the overture Name That Tune - a collage of popular classics sung like I had never heard before. It was fantastic, as was the rest of the evening’s varied programme.
It’s difficult to pick out any single item or song for special praise, but what I can tell you is that this show was at its very best under the baton of Sheila Harrod.
Professionalism, enthusiasm, perfection, smiling faces and beautiful voices are always the hallmark of any of Kentwood production.
After 36 wonderful arrangements courtesy of Paul Maguire, the programme finished with a blaze of gospel highlights, with which I’m guessing Sheila had her dad, the former Salvation Army band master, in mind.
And so the final curtain came down to a standing ovation from a very satisfied audience, full of wanting more.
I wish Sheila well in her next theatre appearance - one of a very of a different kind - when she undergoes a hip replacement, and I close by giving her our best wishes, with a ‘hip hip hooray!’ - JOHN HOLMES
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