WAVES OF JOY ROLL OVER THE AUDIENCE AT ‘SONGS OF THE SEA’ CONCERT

‘Calm was the sea’ in Sandown Bay on Saturday evening where a large audience was ‘lulled’ into waves of joy as they listened to, and joined in with, the Newchurch Male Voice Choir and Sea Gels Shanty Band as they entertained them in a concert of ‘Songs of the Sea’. The choir’s selection of songs included ‘Calm is the Sea’, ‘The Jolly Roger Song’, ‘Crossing the Bar’, ‘A-Roving’ and ‘Sailing’. They had the audience swaying along with ‘Sweet Caroline’ and a selection of ‘Back to the 60’s’ songs. The choir was accompanied on the piano by Cate Clark on her return to the Island for a visit before she returned to her home in Aberystwyth, Wales. The choir sent her on her way with a rousing rendition of ‘Gwahoddiad’ sung in Welsh. The Sea Gels treated the audience to a selection of shanty songs that had the audience joining in. The concert was for the the benefit of the Sandown & Shanklin Independent Lifeboat, and quite aptly the Sea Gels included the shanties ‘Home from the Sea’ which was about a lifeboat dealing with an incident. They then sang ‘Throw out the lifeline’ and threw out lots of cloth lifebelts to the audience. Mark Birch, Coxswain of the Lifeboat thanked everyone for the support, which was received with great pleasure. The retiring collection raised the sum of £500 for the lifeboat.