Twice a year a lovely thing happens at The Rose Hill, the city’s most interesting music venue and Brighton Folk Choir’s rehearsal space most Mondays during the academic year.
After practice, the bar is opened up and we have a little cabaret. Members share whatever they want – a song, a story, a poem, a belly dance…
Because we meet on a Monday, most people are knackered and head home straight after rehearsal. So the cabaret is a lovely opportunity to get to know fellow choir members a bit better, even those outside one’s own section. Even one’s hated enemies, like those who sing the tune.
The Highchurches, wouldn’t exist without this lovely community, I think it’s fair to say. We certainly wouldn’t have Elle on bass. So I love that we come back together at every cabaret to do a couple of songs.
This time, we did a classic – Harvest Moon – debuting Elle singing in front of an audience for the first time. And then we debuted a new song – Dunwich Dynamo, the tune I wrote for my debut show, Future Folklore, about a renewable electricity powered anarchist community in post-apocalyptic Suffolk.
It was lovely as always, and everyone sang and performed so beautifully.
If you’re in or around Brighton on Friday, you can catch us perform at Rottingdean Windmill at 7pm. We’re accompanying the Hognutter Mummers for the first time. Plus who doesn’t love a gig at a windmill?
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