Born Free! St Andrew’s Church, Hove, August 5 (From The Argus)

Born Free! St Andrew’s Church, Hove, August 5

5:02pm Friday 6th August 2010 in

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St Andrew’s Church, a stunning hidden gem of a building, sparkled with fairy lights to welcome a friendly audience to the latest charity show from the Brighton And Hove (Actually) Gay Men’s Chorus.

The programme commenced with a blast of the Pearl And Dean theme projected on a video screen, along with vintage public service announcements and delightfully kitsch adverts from the past – one roused infectious laughter with the innocent jingle, “When you fancy a fruity treat, unzip a banana”. Their selection of Oscar-winning film music was magnificently dramatic, from the swelling chorus of Born Free to the arresting Ave Satani from The Omen, and the choir’s musical director Jason Pimblett drew every ounce of feeling from his singers and musicians.

The choir, drilled to perfection on stage, sang joyfully together and harmonised well with virtuoso pianist Peter Lawson, Colin Blanchflower on keyboards and subtle percussionist Matt Jones.

Saxophonist Nick Warr marched bashfully on stage for Up Where We Belong, clad in the white naval uniform of An Officer And A Gentleman.

Operatic diva Samantha Howard made repeated appearances, each time in a more flamboyant costume, her voice soaring gloriously.

Despite a few slight technical hitches with the videos which introduced each new song via the relevant film trailer, chuckling host Joanna van Gyseghem sailed through serenely, reminiscing about glamorous leading men.

Finally, after an arresting encore amid billowing dry ice, conductor Jason Pimblett bowed proudly, trying to keep a check on his emotions as the crowd got to their feet for a standing ovation.