{"id":123,"date":"2018-01-03T09:40:43","date_gmt":"2018-01-03T09:40:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lisscommunitychoir.org.uk\/?page_id=123"},"modified":"2026-06-19T08:23:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T08:23:34","slug":"past-performances","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.lisscommunitychoir.org.uk\/index.php\/past-performances\/","title":{"rendered":"Past Performances"},"content":{"rendered":"

June 2026 – Summer Concert At Liss Triangle Centre<\/strong>
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\nThe Liss Triangle Manager, Karen Feeney, did not hold anything back when commenting on our Summer Concert. Here is what she said:<\/p>\n

\n\u201cEnormous thanks to Fraser, Malcolm and of course to the Choir for performing at the Summer Concert for The Triangle Centre <\/i>on Saturday evening.\u00a0<\/span>I think it was a brilliant performance and I heard lots of lovely comments from our audience as they left! The Community Choir is a joy to be part of, and I hope that the audience felt that we were enjoying the singing as much as they were listening to us.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n
I would love to consider holding another Choir event at The Triangle in the future.\u00a0 Between donations at the door and the refreshment counter we took \u00a3400.\u00a0<\/i><\/div>\n
Thanks again to everyone!\u201d<\/i><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"Liss
\nMarch 2026 – Spring Concert – “The Hills Are Alive!”<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Choir has made great strides in confidence, technique and pzazz under the direction of its new music conductor, Fraser Ellson. All three qualities were on full display at their Spring Concert at St Mary\u2019s Liss, on Saturday March 14th. An expectant audience took every seat down the nave and side aisles, leaving just enough space for 2 tables piled high with the interval refreshments.<\/p>\n

The programme was an eclectic mix of traditional airs, a nod to Leonard Cohen (\u201cHallellujah\u201d) and lots of lively songs from the shows. A piece new to the Chorus, \u201cThe Road Home\u201d by Stephen Paulus, called for well-worked harmonies and a soprano solo. There was a great rendition of \u201cOn the street where you live\u201d by Fraser, showing the vocal power which can fill a cathedral (which he does regularly at Guildford, where he is a lay tenor). Our regular accompanist, Malcolm Quiney, played his own well-crafted composition based on \u201cMemory\u201d from the musical \u201cCats\u201d. It\u2019s a joy to see our two principals working so well together!<\/p>\n

Contributions poured in to the Concert collection boxes for the benefit of The Triangle Centre, Liss. Final amount raised: \u00a3804.01<\/span><\/strong>. Not a bad afternoon\u2019s work!<\/p>\n

Photos credit: Michael Quiney<\/p>\n

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\"Spring<\/p>\n

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\"Concert<\/p>\n

\"Sprint<\/p>\n

December 2025 – The Good Intent (with Malcolm – “Q The Piano Man”)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Assorted Choir members muscled in on Malcolm\u2019s slot at The Good Intent lon December 11th, to sing a few carols. Spare carol sheets were dished out to the pub regulars, who proceeded to make full use of them. A great evening, big thanks to Malcolm for the suggestion.<\/p>\n

\"Good<\/p>\n

November\/December 2025 – Care Home Concerts<\/strong><\/p>\n

To round off the 2025 first term, Choir members put on their colourful tops, gathered up their Bethlehem Carol Sheets and sallied out to 3 Care Homes in our area: Chatterwood, Forest Brow and East Hill. Fraser and Malcolm rose to each occasion with chirpy intros, feel-good keyboard accompaniment and an unmistakeable mission to give all the residents a joyous time. If any proof were needed about the power of singing to reawaken fading memories of the residents, this was it, x 3!<\/p>\n

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June 2025 – Annual Summer Party<\/strong><\/p>\n

The June 2025 Choir Summer Party rounded off another busy year, and marked the final time our outgoing Musical Director, Erica Kollek, would be leading us in song. Choir members and their spouses \/ partners contributed to a very enjoyable bring-and-share evening meal at Greatham Village Hall. Things would not have been the same without a much-anticipated singing session. You can\u2019t keep a good singer down!<\/p>\n

May 2025 \u2013 Visits to Blenheim Court and Forest Brow Care Homes.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We performed a “whistle stop(!)” tour of 2 local care homes – rushing from Forest Brow to Blenheim Court in one, frantic afternoon! The weather was perfect, and the residents and staff all seemed to have a great time. As usual, we performed a broad mix of songs, and there were smiling faces all around!
\n* Together (Wherever We Go)
\n* Spread a Little Happiness
\n* My Fair Lady (medley)
\n* Can’t Help Falling in Love With You
\n* Gaelic Blessing
\n* Love Changes Everything
\n* The Rhythm of Life<\/p>\n

April 2025 – A Festival Of Song (At St. Mary’s Church, Liss)<\/strong><\/p>\n

St Mary’s Church was packed with people ready to join in our Festival of Song!<\/p>\n

Thanks to our generous audience, a magnificient total of \u00a3673<\/strong> was raised to share between St Mary\u2019s Church Roof Fund and LUPIN. Thank you all for your support!<\/p>\n

The concert was divided into two parts. An interval gave the audience the chance to participate in a sing-along, combining “When The Saints Go Marching In”, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and “I’m Gonna Sing, Sing, Sing” into a wonderful polyphony of joy!<\/p>\n

Free refreshments were provided during the interval.<\/p>\n

\"Festival<\/p>\n

December 2024 – Carol Concert for the Liss Village Club, Triangle Centre, Liss.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lots of favourite carols were sung out, with the audience readily joining in. With lyrics projected onto a large screen behind the choir, there really was no excuse to hold back! Canap\u00e9s and mulled wine rounded off an enjoyable afternoon.<\/p>\n

\"Triangle<\/p>\n

\"Triangle<\/p>\n

December 2023 – Joint Concert LCC \/ Liss Junior School<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Hall at Liss Infants School was already full with parents, Choir members, pupils and visitors to the School\u2019s Christmas Fair, when still more parents came through the door, anxious not to miss their children\u2019s singing. Conversations usually conducted at the school gates continued energetically as the singing got underway. Somewhere behind the pile of winter coats on the grand piano was Lucy, bravely trying to make out what might be happening with conductor Erica elsewhere in the room. Somehow it all worked; the children sang their own songs beautifully under the direction of music teacher Vanessa Cook, and then joined forces with the Community Choir for \u201cHakuna Matata\u201d and \u201cSanta got stuck up the chimney\u201d. Achoo! x 3!<\/p>\n

November 2023 LCC Autumn Concert, St Mary\u2019s<\/strong><\/p>\n

With the warm-up songs done and dusted, the Choir charged ahead with a medley of Beatles numbers, taken from different tracks amongst this fabulous group\u2019s 12 LPs. It was great to pay tribute to this band. Meanwhile, suffering from writer\u2019s block in a snowbound chalet in the Swiss Alps, writer Jeff Lynne had been much relieved by the reappearance of the sun, resulting in \u201cMr Blue Sky\u201d. The Choir gave it a lusty rendition. Who knows where inspiration is going to come from next?<\/p>\n

The interval included a jaw-dropping presentation by Marylin Weston of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance (HIOWAA) charity, the beneficiaries of the concert proceeds. It turned out that helicopters are very<\/b> expensive to run (\u00a315,000 per day!) and get called out regularly across the county.<\/p>\n

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More audience participation followed to test the effects of the interval wine. The Choir relived teenage kicks with the Beach Boys (\u201cFun, Fun, Fun\u201d, \u201cHelp Me Rhonda\u201d) featuring the T Bird, the extravagant gas-guzzling car with tail fins which could have been the envy of Dame Edna Everage. A total contrast was provided by \u201cSunrise, Sunset\u201d, a poignant song about hard-working country folk in southern Russia, pausing to marvel at their children growing up.<\/p>\n

Then it was Freddie Mercury\u2019s turn to crash the party with \u201cCrazy Little Thing called Love\u201d, which had Freddie\u2019s hedonistic lifestyle to a T. Sir Elton John got a look in with \u201cHakuna Matata\u201d, a title containing probably the best message of the evening: \u201cIt means no worries, for the rest of your days\u201d. Amen to that!<\/p>\n

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The Concert raised a welcome \u00a3664.39 for the HIOWAA.\u00a0So, if you ever see a green and yellow helicopter flying about, you now know who it belongs to!<\/p>\n

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June 2023 – Visits to Blenheim Court and Forest Brow Care Homes.<\/strong><\/p>\n

On a swelteringly hot Saturday, the Choir members donned their most colourful outfits and set out to disturb the afternoon slumbers of the residents at two of the larger local care homes. Windows were flung wide open, electric fans buzzed incessantly and jugs of cool orangeade kept things manageable. These were our first public airings of recent additions to our repertoire: \u201cMr Blue Sky\u201d, \u201cAll you need is love\u201d- the Beatles Medley, and \u201cBarcarolle\u201d. Audience participation was clearly apparent during all the Beatles numbers. It was a joy to see the uplifting effect all around the lounge rooms. Bring on the next concert!<\/p>\n

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November 2022 – 10th Anniversary Concert, St Mary\u2019s.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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A welcome return to normality, after all the Covid-related absences. A scramble for extra chairs was needed to accommodate a well-filled church! The opening number \u201cBridge over Troubled Water\u201d set the scene, with its message of reassuring support in the face of difficult times. The \u201cSkye Boat Song\u201d challenged the Choir with its twin requirements, the timing of a Swiss watch and the alertness of a gazelle on the Savannah. A set of three Celtic inspired songs produced some well-worked harmonies, followed by the classic \u201cPanis Angelicus\u201d and Verdi\u2019s March of the Slaves, \u201cVa Pensiero\u201d.<\/p>\n

After the interval, the audience sang along with gusto to the choruses of popular tunes, and were then treated to a medley of songs from \u201cOliver\u201d. The final \u201cMusic of the Night\u201d sent everyone off happy. Before leaving, they contributed \u00a3822.60 to the retiring collection for The Rosemary Foundation, Petersfield. A stunning achievement!<\/p>\n

July 2022 – Platinum Jubilee Concert, Tea at the Triangle.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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With selections made from the early years of the Queen\u2019s life, the Triangle Community Centre put on some multi-channel, comprehensive entertainment on Friday 3rd June. The main offering was Cecil B de Mille\u2019s 1952 film classic, \u201cThe Greatest Show on Earth\u201d, with a cast featuring 1,400 circus people. Fans of Charlton Heston and James Stewart could swoon to their heart\u2019s content.<\/p>\n

With somewhat fewer numbers, the Liss Community Choir provided the tea interval entertainment. \u201cPuttin\u2019 on the Ritz\u201d (1927) set a genteel tone to proceedings, followed by \u201cSentimental Journey\u201d (1944, and which became a big hit for Doris Day), then \u201cIn the Mood\u201d (a quick fire, foot-tapping number from 1939 made famous by Glen Miller). A song medley from \u201cMy Fair Lady\u201d (1956) brought out the latent Julie Andrews hiding in all the lady attendees. The Choir continued as plate after plate of tantalising cakes and sandwiches appeared from the Triangle kitchen. The final number was a rousing \u201cWhite Cliffs of Dover\u201d (1941) with conductor Erica Kollek in the role of Dame Vera Lynn, complete with feather boa in Jubilee colours.<\/p>\n

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\nFeedback? \u201cThat was good – we must get them again!\u201d, from Centre Manager Karen, who then approached Erica about a return. We left the lovely Triangle volunteers singing showstoppers from My Fair Lady in the kitchen. \u201cOh, wouldn\u2019t it be Loverly?\u201d<\/p>\n

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Apart from during Lockdown, we were regularly asked to sing at events taking place in Liss. Performing in public always has a \u2018roller coaster\u2019 element, making it an exciting and fulfilling experience!<\/p>\n

Other concerts during our 10-year history have included:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • 2014 \u2013 First LCC Summer Concert, St Mary\u2019s Church, Liss. A varied programme drew from the great American musicals \u201cOklahoma\u201d and \u201cSouth Pacific\u201d. Lucy Flint\u2019s arrangement of \u201cSuo Gan\u201d was sung in public for the first time (remember the soundtrack to \u201cEmpire of the Sun\u201d?). Over \u00a31,000 was raised for the Rosemary Foundation.<\/li>\n
  • 2017 \u2013 Summer Concert, St Mary\u2019s. The occasion when Margaret Gussman, (who was key to the Choir\u2019s formation in 2011 and its leader for 6 years), passed the conductor\u2019s baton to Erica Kollek. The programme was brimful of song medleys from \u201cMy Fair Lady\u201d, \u201cJoseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat\u201d and \u201cOliver\u201d. Over \u00a3600 was raised for the Petersfield Counselling Service, boosted by a collection at the Choir BBQ afterwards.<\/li>\n
  • 2019 \u2013 Liss Film Festival, Triangle Centre, Liss. The Choir set the scene for the screening of \u201cJudy\u201d (the Judy Garland biopic), by singing \u201cOver the Rainbow\u201d and other great songs from her era. A gala occasion!<\/li>\n
  • Several Informal concerts have been arranged over the years at local nursing and residential care homes, especially at Christmas time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    June 2026 – Summer Concert At Liss Triangle Centre The Liss Triangle Manager, Karen Feeney, did not hold anything back when commenting on our Summer Concert. Here is what she said: \u201cEnormous thanks to Fraser, Malcolm and of course to the Choir for performing at the Summer Concert for The Triangle Centre on Saturday evening.\u00a0I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-123","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lisscommunitychoir.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/123","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lisscommunitychoir.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lisscommunitychoir.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisscommunitychoir.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisscommunitychoir.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123"}],"version-history":[{"count":65,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisscommunitychoir.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/123\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":521,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisscommunitychoir.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/123\/revisions\/521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lisscommunitychoir.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}