The Nether Farbridge and Cherleigh Parva Examiner and Herald
24th February 2017
From our Arts Correspondent.
Your correspondent had the pleasure of attending Cherleigh Parva Parish Hall for a performance of ‘Let us a-spire’, a concert to raise funds for repairs to St Mungo’s Steeple.
The proceedings were started by the Rev Eustace Fortescue who enthused about the treats in store for us. It would, he promised, put Cherleigh Parva on the map. A voice from the back was heard to say “It already is if you’d care to look. Get yourself a road atlas you cheapskate.” The vicar then said that the sooner the essential repairs were carried out the sooner it would be safe to ring the bells again. Mr Williams, the organist, was heard to mutter “Then let’s leave it as it is.” Apparently he has an ongoing feud with Mr Bailey, the head ringer, claiming that the five minute bell drowns out his voluntary. Rev Fortescue then asked Lady Cherleigh of Cherleigh Court to open the concert.
With assistance, Lady Cherleigh, who appeared to have dined well, rose to her feet and, ignoring the nature of the occasion, launched into her favourite topic, the lower orders and their lack of civility or it may have been servility. It was rather difficult to tell as she took frequent sips of what one must charitably assume was her medicine. After some two hours, although the wall clock lied and indicated it was only eight minutes, during a pause for medication an astute member of the audience leapt to his feet and started applauding. The rest joined in enthusiastically and the Rev Fortescue quickly and gratefully rose to his feet and thanked Lady Cherleigh who, assisted by her chauffeur, departed in the direction of her Rolls Royce which due to the limited parking space at the hall, was residing in the car park of the Red Lion opposite.
The first item was by the Nether Farbridge Mothers’ Union choir – although whether six voices constitute a choir is open to debate – who sang ‘O Lovely Peace’ from Judas Maccabaeus. Much of the blame must lie with Handel for pitching the piece a major third too high.
This was followed by Mr Jolly, the verger, who recited what the programme claimed was a humorous monologue. The Cherleigh Men’s Working Party must be congratulated on their excellent work in repairing and strengthening the stage after the disaster at the ‘Halloween Hootenanny’. It resisted the best efforts of the Cherleigh Girl Guides’ Modern Dance Group.
The first half concluded with ‘O For the Wings of a Dove’ sung by Mrs Jolly, the verger’s wife. In introducing Mrs Jolly the vicar reminded the audience that Mrs Jolly, or young Patty Morris as she then was, had sung this very piece as a choir girl at the concert to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. Evidently, some of the older men did remember for there was a surreptitious exodus in the direction of the Red Lion. The voice from the back was obviously not one of the escapees, for at the line ‘Far, far away would I fly’ he was heard to wish ‘Would that you would’?
After the interval we were treated to a duet by Miss Olive Branch, a member of the County Youth Orchestra, a very promising violinist, and Mrs Fortescue, who plays the piano for St Mungo’s Sunday School. The first few minutes were excellent and would have graced a more sophisticated occasion. It was unfortunate that young Miles Fortescue, conscripted as a page turner managed to turn over two pages at once. His doting mother failed to notice and won by twenty four bars.
This was followed by the Farbridge and Cherleigh Free Spirits Choir who sang a collection of songs from the shows. It would appear that the freedom of the spirit included a free choice of key to use. Suffice to say that the choristers made full but differing use of that freedom and even managed to include some which were not in the usually accepted twelve major and twelve minor keys.
The Rev Fortescue’s charming younger daughter, Cynthia, next entertained us with a flute solo, a commendable effort for a seven year old, although it might have been wiser to have attempted something a little easier than ‘The Flight of the Bumble Bee’ which gave several of the coarser members of the audience the opportunity to indulge in the well-known Spoonerism.
The efforts of Miss Jones, Mrs Drury and Mrs Partington of the Cherleigh over 80’s Glee Club in ‘Three Little Maids from School’ from the Mikado were most courageous.
I looked forward to the final item ‘A Tribute to Kipling’ with pleasant anticipation. Mr Charles Williams is a very fine bass who has sung professionally. He sang ‘Boots’ and it says much for his concentration and power that he sang it perfectly, despite the fact that Mrs Fortescue was playing ‘On the Road to Mandalay’.
I should not like to give the impression that the concert did not live up to expectations. I sampled Miss Ruth Temple’s rock cakes. They fully justified their description.
I look forward with eager anticipation to the next Cherleigh concert, ‘Merry in May’ and I can recommend what I am sure will be an interesting evening to any of our readers who wish to support this event.
Leave a Reply