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In Harmony With Your Gut
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In Harmony With Your Gut - Concert to benefit Crohn's & Colitis UK
St. Paul's Church, Covent Garden 7th June 2015
Click on photos to enlarge
by: Joan and Leanne
Joan:
The day started early for me but it was a bright sunny warm day for London town so we started off around 10am and made our way over to SE London to St Vincent’s Square for a horticultural show and lectures. After that, a bit of sightseeing before making our way to Covent Garden for a meal before the show 'In Harmony with your Gut' at the "Actor's Church".
I had never been into this little gem of a place even though I must have walked past it hundreds of times. We sat in the lovely peaceful garden that is hidden from the hustle and bustle of the busy Covent Garden. As we sat there we saw Jonathan Ansell coming out of the church and within seconds he was surrounded by a dozen fans. He stopped to speak to them and have photos taken and then I heard him say, “why don’t you slip into the back of the church and watch the sound check/rehearsals.” When they entered, I decided to enter as well. I sat on my own and was enthralled watching it all.
So much talent in one beautiful setting, how lucky was I? I texted the friend that was meeting me (Leanne) to say where I was and that she would be allowed to join me. Daniel Boys was just doing his 2nd song when Lee Mead walked past me and into one of the front pews on the other side of the church. He put down his bag and suit carrier and watched his friend. When Daniel had finished Lee gave him a man hug. Not long after that it was time for Lee to sit with the pianist and go through his songs. Just as Lee was singing his 2nd song “Anthem” my friend joined me. Just after that Lee left with Daniel perhaps to get something to eat(?) Soon after, everyone was asked to leave while they got everything set up for the paying audience to enjoy.
Photos by Joan
Leanne:
When we were outside we started to see a few familiar faces and we all began to queue at the entrance. Whilst we were queuing and all chatting, Lee returned with Daniel. I did have to double take when I saw them walking down the path as I just found it a funny sight, seeing the both of them together. I hadn't seen Daniel for a good few years and it was nice to see him and Lee chatting. As Lee passed, he recognised his fans and said hello while walking by. He then made a comment about it being a bit awkward because he had to walk past the queue to get in the church entrance; he likened it to being at stage door!
So it wasn't long before we were able to show our tickets and take our seats. The church itself is beautiful! It's so unusual to have a place like that right in the middle London, especially in Covent Garden where it is always busy and full of hustle bustle. The show began fairly promptly by Duncan who was one of the creators of the show. He was very witty throughout the whole evening and was quick to introduce each act as there were so many in so little time.
Now onto the show itself! There were so many acts and all were fantastic and super talented! Unfortunately I cannot remember everyone's names and can't seem to remember the complete running order. There was a complete range of artists performing, including a couple of up and coming acts who were studying or starting their studies and it was nice to see them and how they perform. There were solo artists, groups and even dancing at one point! Although each act was fantastic, it was lovely to see familiar West End faces in the likes of Oliver Tompsett, Daniel Boys and of course, Lee Mead!
Lee was introduced to the stage early on, about the 3rd person to sing. Duncan discussed how he had worked with Lee a long time ago on a really bad job. When Lee got to the stage, he enlightened us that it was on the cruise ship. It seemed like they may have had some interesting times on that boat! Lee's performance was stunning as usual. He began with 'All of Me' and then moved on to 'Anthem.' Both songs were sung with such emotion and it was lovely to be so close to the performance. His voice shone through once again with a great vocal range on both songs but of course more so with 'Anthem'.
Photos by Leanne
Joan:
There was an interval and wine was served. We were told that they couldn’t charge for refreshments but they would be grateful if we put a donation in the buckets, which of course everyone did.
Then it was back to our seats for the second half. A doctor from St. Marks Hospital gave a little talk about the work he and his team are doing and about how amazed he was by all the outstanding talent that had turned up to make this a special night
I was really happy to see Mitch Miller. I liked him when he was on The Voice.
Charlotte Jaconelli was joined by Jonathan Ansell and they sang Barcelona.
Then to end the very lovely evening Jonathan Ansell sang 'Nessun Dorma'. Phew! It was powerful and he got a standing ovation.
As we slowly filed out I managed to have a quick word with the doctor and found that St Marks is only a few miles from where I live. It’s humbling to think of how many people have been helped by this team of talented doctors.
I rushed off because I needed to get my train home. Imagine my surprise when I found I was sitting next to Holly Brewer and her mum. (Holly was the first artist to perform that night.) We chatted all the way home each of us reliving special moments of the night and feeling inspired by Duncan Heather and Christopher Mitchell who organized it all
Photos by Leanne