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Thursday, November 18, 2021

Newbury Weekly News

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT 2 n

Black comedy at New Era NEW Era Player’s current production, Lloyd George Knew My Father , written by William Douglas Home and directed by Marie Jacobs, opens tonight (Thursday). Lord and Lady Boothroyd head a rather eccentric aristocratic family, living in their country mansion Boothroyd Hall. A planned bypass through Boothroyd Park has incensed Lady Boothroyd, and she threatens to ‘do herself in’ as soon as ‘the first sod is turned’. Her doddery and rather deaf husband is bemused whilst her pompous MP son is horrified and concerned about publicity and losing his seat. He is supported by his timid and ineffectual wife. However Lady B’s granddaughter supports her, together with her journalist boyfriend, always on the lookout for a ‘scoop’. Other characters include a faithful family retainer who has been through several wars with Lord B and a local vicar who is called in to try and persuade Lady B to change her mind. The play has much comedy with some serious and poignant moments. The production runs this week to Saturday, then from Tuesday to Saturday next week at the New Era Theatre, St Georges Community Centre, Andover Road. https://neweraplayers.org

Another coup for the ACE Space folk ELLIE Gowers is an up-and- coming singer/songwriter whose first headline tour includes appearance at ACE Space with special guest Dom Prag. Ellie’s music embeds a fierce energy that echoes the 60s folk revival scene and she is known to hold pride of place on stage with her strong and lucent vocals. Her songs are built from a childhood love of literature and traditional folk song, but also discuss the more modern narratives of the present day. These influences fuse together to create a sound that has been deemed unique and incomparable. Back in March, Ellie released her EP Parting Breath which features, and was produced by, Lukas Drinkwater. Lukas is well known and admired at ACE Space and has performed there more often than any other musician (in various line-ups). The title track pays homage to Robert Burns’ Auld Lang Syne. It’s a song about being with friends and family to welcome in the new year and embrace the parting of the last one. A poignant topic at the moment, giving us hope for things getting back to normal after the past year’s challenges. Dom Prag was first seen by a member of the ACE Space team more than three years ago at Nettlebed. Dom made such an impression that he was approached about coming to ACE Space. It took a while before a suitable opportunity arose and then lockdown happened. Dom’s music knits together British

The Cecilia Consort at Douai Abbey on Saturday, picture by Fiona Bennett Our string of pearls One of Newbury’s finest amateur choirs celebrate 30 years The Cecilia Consort at Douai Abbey, Upper Woolhampton on Saturday, November 13 many fans and followers. As ever, the choir was lucky enough to have Steve Bowey accompanying

2015 and it’s a modern day classic, beautifully performed by the choir. As ever, we bowed our heads to pray and the final piece, Panis Angelicus , composed by none other than Janet Coxwell, closed this very special anniversary concert. The November evening had drawn in, it was dark when we arrived and dark when we left and yet, somehow, we all felt lighter in spirit on the way home. Well done Janet and well done Cecilians. Here’s to the next 30 years.

them on the mighty abbey organ and, sure enough, he also had the opportunity to show off his own solo talents in two pieces, one by a good friend of Jan’s, Patrick Hawes, and the other by Herbert Howells. One of the many highlights of the evening was the Bob Chilcott Peace Mass , featuring the choir’s 12 sopranos and seven altos. I could almost hear Jan’s instruction to ‘shimmer’ in the opening Kyrie and I loved the funky Latin American Mysterium. It’s no real surprise that the composer was awarded the US National Medal of Arts in a White House ceremony for his ‘composition of radiant choral works, combining musical beauty, power and spiritual depth that have thrilled audiences worldwide’. I’ve had the great pleasure of singing Judith Bingham’s Ghostly Grace with this talented choir and I loved it from the minute we began rehearsing. The piece was composed to commemorate the re-interment of Richard III in Leicester Cathedral in rhythms of the Gloria too. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise as the choir began singing Lauridsen’s O Magnum

Review by FIONA BENNETT

SATURDAY saw the return of one of Newbury’s finest amateur choirs to the majestic Douai Abbey, in a concert especially prepared to celebrate their 30th (also known as Pearl) anniversary. It was, in fact, 31 years ago that Janet Coxwell conducted an ad-hoc choir which subsequently became The Cecilia Consort, but sadly the pandemic put pay to their actual anniversary celebrations which were put back 12 months, but it was a joy to see Jan and her Cecilians raising the Douai rafters once again. In a programme of music by Howells, Cornysh, Hawes, Chilcott, Hadley, Duruflé, Lauridsen, Judith Bingham and Williams Harris, the 30-strong choir reminded us just how committed and dedicated they are to their craft and, Covid-19 allowing, they are planning to record a CD during the early part of next year, something which will excite their CITY Arts Christmas Fairs are coming up on Saturday and Sunday and again the following weekend (November 27/28) from 10am to 4pm each day, at their building in 10 Hampton Road where a variety of local artists and makers will show their wares, in the old chapel at 10 Hampton Road. Stalls will change each weekend so it will be worth going twice. The fairs are free to enter and include ceramics, photography, textile arts, jewellery, books, original prints, festive decorations, glass artwork, bags and homemade scarves and other sewn goods, drawings and paintings. There is also a refreshments stall manned by the City Arts team of volunteers and a fantastic arty raffle with prices donated by the participants in aid of the City Arts Newbury charity.

... the 30-strong choir reminded us just how

committed and dedicated they are to their craft and, Covid-19 allowing, they are planning to record a CD during the early part of next year, something which will excite their many fans and followers

New Era’s Lloyd George Knew My Father : Lady Boothroyd, centre (Sue Keer), her grand- daughter Sally (Verity Walker) and daugh- ter-in-law,Maud (Jenni Collins)

Cromwells sing-up Christmas

Two weekends of crafty Christmas fairs at City Ar ts

Ellie Gowers Picture by Rob Bridge

and European folk tradition, classical guitar, mining songs, unaccompanied singing, poems set to music (eg Keats, Larkin), compositions influenced by Schubert and Shostakovich, bluesy riffs and raw vocals. Ellie Gowers with special guest Dom Prag will be at ACE Space on Saturday, November 27, at 8pm. Tickets are £12 and available from www.WeGotTickets.com or direct by emailing events@acespace.org. uk or calling 078911 76940. ACE Space will continue to operate at reduced capacity for gigs in November.

JOIN the Cromwell Singers for a ‘Musicals’ Christmas concert on Saturday, December 11, at 3pm at St John’s Church, Newbury. Entry is free, but there will be a retiring collection, the net proceeds of which will be split between St John’s Church and the Parkinson’s Disease Association. The concert will be in two halves of approximately 45 minutes and there will be refreshments served during the interval. The first half will largely be medleys from various musicals, the second some more traditional Christmas fare.