Soweto Gospel Choir
★★★★
Gluttony
Back for a longer season than last years triumph at the Royal Croquet Club, the choir did not disappoint.
Thankfully is was not exactly the same show as last year, but the incredible energy and power remained intact. This was a show dedicated to Nelson Mandela and his presence was palpable throughout the performance.
The choir, decked in their signature bright outfits, hit the ground running, literally, with a series of African songs, all powerful stuff. They presented a range of music, from deeply African to James Brown’s “I Feel Good”, a few slower songs, probably placed so that the members could catch their breath and closed with Leonard Cohen’s majestic “Hallelujah”
More than the songs, it is the energy and passion not only in the singing, but also in the very demanding choreography, not to mention dancing and drumming in the brilliant percussion interlude. With very little in the way of breaks between numbers the choir kept up the energy level to fever pitch right to the penultimate number, letting us down slowly with the deeply moving finale.
The only downsides were a slightly muddy sound, sometimes making it hard to clearly hear the singing, and the sounds infiltrating the venue from other events.
The audience wanted more, but as Fringe show rules dictate an hour is it. Great way to spend an hour though!
Michael Prescott
