St Peter’s Church, Newenden, was filled with Rye Bay Crew followers and members of the Friends of St Peter’s for the concert on Friday, October 14. The church had been dressed for the occasion, with Union flags and effective lighting, transforming it into an atmospheric performance area.
The theme was 'Songs of the Sea' and the audience enjoyed participating in the well known sea shanty choruses. Rebekah Gilbert explained that their choice of music was not restricted to traditional songs and included anything they liked with a reference to the sea. Her beautiful rendition of the folk song Blow the wind southerly was a highlight of the evening. As an audience member remarked to me afterwards, it really was as if Kathleen Ferrier had returned.
Andy Rivett was lead vocalist in most of the shanties and his voice lends itself perfectly to this repertoire. The audience loved his high spirits and enthusiasm. At the centre of the ensemble is Chris Fisher, master of the guitar and mandolin, who kept a firm hand on the tiller. Jonathan Breeds contributed several lovely vocal solos and kept everyone together with the beat of his drum. Accordionist Paul Maylon completed the line-up for the occasion.
The audience showed their appreciation at the end of the evening with tumultuous applause and wouldn’t let the Crew go without an encore. Alan Seal, chairman of the Friends of St Peter’s, thanked the Rye Bay Crew for their performance and everyone in the audience for their generosity. All proceeds from the performance will go towards the cost of the extensive work being undertaken to maintain the beautiful church.
