By EMMA ANDREWS emma.andrews@hexham-courant.co.uk

Published at 09:45, Friday, 21 May 2010

I HAVE been to see Les Miserables four times in the West End and I can honestly say that Kerry Blake’s rendition of the beautiful On My Own, during Hexham Amateur Stage Society’s latest show at the Queen’s Hall, was up there with the best.

Showstoppers: Performers from the Hexham Amateur Stage Society produced a stunning evening’s entertainment at the Queen’s Hall, performing songs from all the great musicals, including Les Miserables, West Side Story, and Grease.

The pure, clear, sweet tone of her voice perfectly suited the haunting ballad and brought a lump to my throat.

And you could have heard a pin drop as the audience fell silent and sat back to enjoy the powerful performance, steeped in heartfelt emotion.

Les Miserables is my favourite musical of all time, so maybe I am a little biased.

But I don’t think anyone in the audience on Friday night could fail to have been moved by Kerry’s electrifying performance.

The wonderful thing about Hexham Amateur Stage Society is that it brings together people of all ages and all abilities.

And while their talents may vary, they are united by their passion for performance and their obvious love of music.

And because of that, they are a joy to watch.

There are obvious, experienced stars in the line-up who can be relied upon, every time, to put in a strong, impressive performance.

They include Mari Stewart, Clair Caris, Barry Liddell, Robin Jowett, Beryl Amos, Albert Simpson, the aforementioned Kerry and the wonderfully seductive Miriam Delaney with her husky voice, figure-hugging dress and rather naughty smile.

But I was equally moved by the not-quite-so-comfortable, even a little self-conscious, performers who gave their all and showed incredible courage to stand up in front of a packed Queen’s Hall and sing their hearts out.

Ian Cave’s endearing rendition of I Won’t Send Roses from Mack and Mabel was particularly touching.

The concert was called, quite simply, Sing, and was a celebration of music from the nation’s favourite shows including West Side Story, A Chorus Line, Chess, Porgy and Bess, Cabaret, Sunset Boulevard, Follies, Grease and Miss Saigon.

A fantastic line-up and a fantastic night.

I don’t pretend to be an expert when it comes to music criticism, but I am a bit of a know-it-all when it comes to musicals.

I was brought up on them and nurse fond, evocative memories of watching a drenched but grinning Tommy Steele dancing his squelching way through Singin’ In The Rain on stage at the London Palladium.

Then there was Brigadoon at London’s Victoria Palace Theatre with an out-of-control mist that poured out into the audience, making us cough and giggle.

But the highlight has to be The Sound of Music, courtesy of Wolsingham Amateur Dramatic Society, complete with Nazi soldiers shouting broad Geordie and a rather elderly and infirm Maria who opened the show, sitting on a chair, a painting of a mountain propped up behind her.

It’s all too easy to laugh, albeit affectionately, at the efforts of the “am-dram” brigade

But the mishaps, forgotten lines and missed entrances are all part of their charm.

The undeniable fact is that there is real, genuine talent, hiding behind faded, velvet town hall curtains, just waiting to be discovered.

And that is certainly the case at HASS where some of the performances can take your breath away.

I sing in a local choir which, almost always, performs nervously clutching song sheets.

They are our lifelines, our memory props and comfort blanket – and we would be lost without them.

So I know how hard it is to learn parts, complicated harmonies and lyrics - not to mention timing, phrasing and dynamics.

The members of HASS make it look so easy – but, believe me, it isn’t and they deserve every credit for all the hard work they put in to every single performance.

Special mention must also be made of the talented and dedicated HASS band.

The event would not have been possible without – pianists Gordon Barker and Jonas Vogelberg, Harold Purvis on keyboard, Anne Melton, double bass, and percussion, Jack Helan.

Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk