A couple of performances to start the week, after a wonderful weekend in Sheffield.

First up, The Threechurches – the name of any combination of three members [1] of The Highchurches taking to the stage together – played a short set [2] at the Brighton Folk Choir’s end of term cabaret at The Rose Hill.

We did three songs: two which we intended to play on Saturday, Joy In The Morning and Doggerland; and one request from the crowd – people are starting to know our songs! – in the form of The Ballad Of Doris Wu.

Because Elle’s acoustic bass is very quiet when not plugged in, I tried to play very gently, particularly for JITM, and it was a lovely, quiet, and faintly fragile rendition which sounded beautiful in Brighton’s best and most eccentric gig and performance space.

I’ve not been at choir as much as I’d have liked this year, due to work, health, and the like. They’re such a wonderful bunch and I really hope to make it to more shows and practices in 2026. The other performances were brilliantly eclectic. As always, they gave a little hint and insight into the lives of these people I have been harmonising with for years.

So there was Ruth – the person me and Martha want to be when we grow up – with a beautiful performance of song, poetry, and puppetry; author and Catalyst Club creator David Bramwell and his partner Anne doing Nancy and Frank Sinatra complete with triangle; Fiona’s poems raging against middle class complacency; and Russ’ bare bones, doom-laden folk balladeering.

There were other songs, and shanties too. Huge applause to Jo Burke for the amazing little community she’s created and – trickier, this – maintained.

Another community I’ve joined this year is a bunch of actors doing performances for the old folk at a community centre up in Kemptown. Today was our end of year special – a panto, based on The Wizard Of Oz, with a great deal of silly jokes and a fine script put together by a man called Steve.

I requested the role of Dorothy, because who doesn’t want to be Dorothy, in their heart of hearts. It was decided it would be too confusing for a tall ginger man to play the teenage lead – guys, have you seen panto before – so instead I got to play the wizard. I used my cape as the curtain separating the great and powerful Oz from Dorothy and her friends.

I had a powerful and booming voice, very much inspired by the incompetent robot elders from the Fear of a Bot Planet episode of Futurama. When defenestrated, and revealed to be a puny human just like Dorothy, I reverted to Brummie. [3]

Toto was played by a sock puppet, we had an especially fabulous lion, and the witch milked her death scene for all she was worth. A couple of the centre’s staff played some utterly bemused munchkins.

I enjoyed it, as always. Performing for a sleepy, older audience, some with dementia, and who had just watched Ken Dodd on the telly, is always an honour. Some subtleties of the script are lost, and physical humour and exaggerated performances are needed more than ever. Fortunately, pompous idiot who is out of his depth is definitely within my performative wheelhouse. I think we gave them a fun time, and look forward to returning up the hill to the oldies of Kemptown for more shows next year.

[1] In this case me, Martha and Elle – the three Highchurches who are also members of the choir.

[2] I’m quite envious of MJ Hibbett, who managed to work out exactly how many shows he’s ever done. If I go through my photos, WhatsApp messages, and blog posts, I can probably do the same for myself, but I’m not sure how exactly to categorise it. Does a Threechurches gig count as a Highchurches gig? What about solo performances in which I’m performing Highchurches songs? This is going to require serious thought.

[3] I was French in the rehearsal, to fit the moustache, but the centre’s manager is also French, so it might have seemed like I was taking the piss.