Concerts in Moccas
A series of concerts, featuring local musicians, is being held at Moccas Village Hall, Moccas, Herefordshire.
Our last concert was on Thursday October 15th 2015 at 7.30pm - "Melodies of Broadway"
Review
For an evening Moccas Village Hall was transformed, with the zip and razzmatazz of Broadway, thanks to sparkling performances by Dave Provis, Lyndon Eatough-Smith and Catherine O’Rourke. The skills (and flexibility) of the ensemble were demonstrated not only by the fact that the three played nine instruments between them, but that they compensated for the absence through illness of regular pianist Ann Martyn.
The programme spanned nearly a century of Broadway hits, from Give my regards to Broadway, a George M Cohan piece which made its appearance in 1904, to Mamma Mia of 2001, and well-loved numbers in between. Among the highlights were Dave Provis’s take on Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, Lyndon Eatough-Smith’s lyrical violin playing in How are Things in Glocca Morra? and his wonderful Tea for Two piano duet with Catherine O’Rourke, which had the audience only a step away from taking part. Catherine O’Rourke’s saxophone stole the show in Ain’t Misbehaving and brought the evening to a triumphant conclusion.
The third concert in the series was on Thursday July 2nd at 7.30pm. It featured some of the great songs from the golden age of jazz.
Review
The second concert in the series was "The Magic of Film Music", in which the audience was able to enjoy some of the great film themes such as those in Jurassic Park, James Bond and Out of Africa.
Review
Another wonderful musical evening in Moccas on October 23rd, for those of us who managed to make it to this little gem of a village hall - the perfect setting for such an event.
Once again we were treated to a wide variety of pieces, ranging from the frenzied and exciting "Dance of the Devils" by John Williams, to the great solemn grieving chords of "Hymn to the Fallen" by the same composer, so in keeping with this time of year dedicated to Remembrance - both beautifully performed by Lyndon Eatough-Smith.
The variety of pieces was matched by a wide spectrum of talents and instruments - more Magical Film Music was provided by Catherine O'Rourke on piano, flute and saxophone and Ann Martyn on piano, while Lyndon, with Robin Freeland, gave us duets and solo performances on piano and strings. An added attraction in this concert was the provision of vocals by Catherine Murray-Gilling.
In all, a treasure of local talent, and a truly magical evening as announced on the posters. Do not miss out when next year's concerts come round.
Maureen Scrine
The first concert, "Music Through Time," was on Thursday June 19th 2014.
Review
We attended "Music Through Time" last night at Moccas Village Hall. This was a nice mix of classical and popular music played on a variety of instruments by four talented and enthusiastic musicians. It was a most enjoyable evening and everyone in our party appeared to have their particular favourites. I especially liked the music from "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "War of the Worlds", but Faure's "Dolly Suite" (new to me) was a revelation. Thanks for the musical entertainment.
Peter Hingston - author and publisher
