Coventry Cathedral Friday 4th April

[dazza]

Hi Everyone,

I have just returned from another wonderful evening with the girls in Coventry. It was another fantastic performance. The set list is almost the same as York with a few changes in the second half, I was also wrong about Will Martin's song, which is Nature Boy.

Here is the set list…

Kathy Leigh
Vissi D'arte
We’ll Gather Lilacs
O Mio Babino Caro

All Angels
Steal Away
Flower Duet
Songbird
Make Me A Channel Of Your Piece

Will Martin
Into The West
Cinema Paradiso

All Angels
Sull Aria
Barcarole
Singing You Through

INTERVAL

All Angels
Nothing Compares 2 U
Pie Jesu

Will Martin
Nature Boy
Going Home

All Angels
Angels (with Will Martin on keyboard)
Swing Low
The Windmills Of Your Mind
In Paradisum

Encore
Sound Of Silence

I was sat three rows back and had an excellent view again. At the end we were taken to a room downstairs for the V.I.P reception, which was fantastic, though not as long as York and not as much time with the girls, I assume that is because of the concert in Bury tomorrow. I still got some pictures though which I will post when I get home.

I gave the girls my drawing at the V.I.P reception they loved it and were very complimentry about it, I had my picture taken with them holding it. I will let them fight over who has it first, though I think Charlotte might have already won that one as I saw her mum walking out with it at the end.

Kathy Leigh was fantastic at the start of the concert again, Will Martin was also excellent again too, I will be looking to get his album now I think. I brought Kathy's album there and she signed it for me afterwards

The new song the girls performed I did catch this time but just can't think of it at the moment, I should have written it down. I think Drew has it though, it was a nice surprise to see him there.

The dress changes were similar, though at the end Daisy wore a red dress instead of green, Laura still had the light green, Melanie dark blue and Charlotte light blue.

It was another wonderful evening and I really wish that I was going to Bury tomorrow too, oh well I will still be at plenty more concerts so I will see them again soon.

I'll post my pictures when I get home

Dazza

[stephany]

Hi Keith and Dazza,

Thank you very much for your reports - I enjoyed reading them!
I'm glad the girls liked your gift, Dazza.

So it was "Nature Boy", ey? Too bad, I would have loved listening to "Come What May", it's a gorgeous song. I will definitely suggest the title to Will because it works very well as a duet and I already know who would be the perfect singer to associate him with (Hayley of course... )

Looking forward to seeing the pictures.

Stephany

[richnorri]

Thanks for your speedy reports, Keith and Dazza!

I can't work out the Terminal 5 connection either.

Now I'm looking forward to the photographs.

Richard

[dazza]

Hi Richard,

The song they re-named 'Terminal 5'... Flower Duet from the British Airways advert. ;D

Dazza

[drew]

Long time no speak. Now at last something to talk about.

The one track that Dazza missed (both at York and at Coventry) was "Lift Thine Eyes" by Felix Mendelssohn. Referring back to York, Dazza could not remember exactly when the extra song appeared so it was a surprise, after the interval, to hear voices singing from behind the choir stalls.

I managed to uplift the prompt sheet from the front of the stage (at the end of the show). There were a number of last minute changes to the program and reading it now I am reminded that we also heard a track from the young string quartet - "Making Whoopee", just after Angels. Interesting to see now that the prompt sheet displays the choreography for the evening as to who stands where.

Kathy Leigh sounded much better than the sample tracks that appear on her web site. At only seventeen now, I think we will hear more from her in the next few years. I also purchased her CD at the Cathedral, not missing the opportunity. She is currently taking a year off studies after her GCSE's, having moved from Essex up to Yorkshire, then possibly returning to college later. It is great that all profits from her first CD go to Cancer Research UK. You may see form Kathy's website that she has appeared as Nancy in Oliver. I asked about the current BBC competition and she said that she has already met Lord Andrew.

I was fortunate to receive a package from New Zealand on Friday morning and Will Martin was a little surprised to be signing a copy of his CD. The CD is excellent and you will not be disappointed to hear him live. What a voice. Ladies, what a heart-breaker. He explained that the UK release of his CD was delayed until September because he had a full schedule of concerts with various artists. Only then would he have time for album promotion. Stephany, he will be at the Classical Brit Awards.

I also had presents for the girls. The DVD from St. James's.

Perhaps there will be one from Coventry. Watch this space.

[stephany]

Thank you very much, Drew! I'm glad to hear that you liked Will Martin's voice. He's a great performer.
I look forward to seeing the videos

Stephany

[winglessflight]

Oooh, I bet "Lift Thine Eyes" was absolutely amazing!! Wish I could've been there to hear it.
I performed that piece last year(?) as a member of a state-wide youth choir; we sang a SSA* arrangment... I think that's how it appeared originally in "Elijah"...? It's a hard piece, but stunning when performed correctly, which I'm sure AA did, and then some!
That song definitely has my vote for appearing on their next album.

* Soprano, Soprano II, Alto

[dazza]

Hi Drew,

Thanks for your report, I won't forget the name of the song now.

'Lift Thine Eyes' was absolutely beautiful and I also hope that it is included on the next album.

Dazza

[gbl70]

Hi Dazza & Drew

Thank you both for your comprehensive reports from Coventry. Sounds like it was another first class evening.

All the best
Graham :-)

[bonnie]

Hi Everyone

Great concert and I enjoyed All Angels singing but who is this lovely 17 year old soprano Kathy Leigh? What a great voice! Where did the Angels find her?

Bonnie

[shazza]

I went to the All Angels Concert at Coventry Cathedral with my husband. It was outstanding, the girls were stunning, both in their looks and their voices. The only complaint I have is that after paying extra for a VIP ticket so that we could get good seats, we were moved from the first row, to the second row and then the third row, because the first two rows were for family and friends! We then sat behind the parents of one of the girls and listened to them talking through some of the concert about how good they were at York Cathedral! We also didn't get a chance to meet with the girls at the meet and greet afterwards because they were inundated with family and friends wanting to chat, which is fully understandable, but it might be worth them learning to circulate more and making a point of speaking to ALL the people who have paid the extra money to be at the reception afterwards. We did however meet a very nice gentleman from Coventry, and a nice lady from Northampton, who were obviously big fans of the girls too. I was introduced to All Angels by my mother, who asked me to buy their first CD for her for Christmas once, and when I listened to it with her I was hooked! When I told her I had got tickets to see them she was very excited and wanted to hear all about it, unfortunately she passed away in February this year so I never got to tell her just how incredible they were. I have voted for them for the classical award, and if I get the chance I would definitely see them again, perhaps not in VIP seats though! Will Martin was also fantastic, as was Cathy, and Sophie Hill at the after show meet and greet too. All in all an incredible night and also good to know it is helping a charity too! Well done to all involved.

[drew]

Welcome to the forum Shazza.

I am sorry that the concert was not perfect for you. It is only fair that family of performers should have preferential treatment when the individual seats are not reserved but I hope that someone is feeling guilty for spoiling it for you with talking.

As for the meet and greet, the room at Coventry was not ideal for the flowing of visitors. Members of HWI and AAI have an unwritten agreement that, once they have met the artists for the first time, they will stay at the back of the queue to ensure that all other members of the audience have an opportunity to meet the girls before them. I noted that the staff of Purple Dragon Productions were being particularly protective of All Angels on Friday, especially Daisy, who was without family on this occasion. So the staff may have been 'getting in the way' in addition to the parents. I hope that Dazza and I did not jump the queue to deliver our gifts to the girls. We feel like part of the family in any case.

Next time you come to a concert, look out for Dazza. Please check the rogues gallery for his picture. No doubt he will lead you to the front of the queue!

You might recognise me as the one who fails to applaud during a concert, trying very hard not to jog a video camera!

[beckym82]

Hi Drew, did you record the Coventry concert then?

I would have loved to take some pictures of the concert at York, even get a DVD of it to remember by, but I didn't dare use my camera in case I put the girls off or got told off! It would have looked pretty obvious if I started snapping away where I was sat. I wish the Management would do recordings of the concerts, it's the ultimate souvenir really.

Hi Shazza, welcome to the board. I'm sorry to hear you did not get to meet the girls, you should have muscled your way in! The seating arrangement was the same at York. Dazza, his friend and I with my mum were the first in to sit down in the VIP section (Dazza was first into the Minster, no surprise there! ;D ), and we were sat in the third row. I had been planning ahead in the hope that I would get on first row if I was earlier enough in the queue, and I hadn't even thought about family and friends seating. I was disappointed to see the reserved seating but then it does make sense for the artists point of view, I mean they are more entitled to have family close by. I hope this doesn't put you off another concert or going VIP.

[shazza]

Hi Drew and Becky - No it won't put me off, and I do understand that the girls want their families close by, if it was my son/daughter up there I would be prowling too! Maybe it could be that part of the front two rows are reserved, and the rest for those of us 'normal' VIP'S! It just seemed a bit off that we had to try and listen through family members having a chat, as they have seen it all before I suppose they do tend to chat about it! The meet and greet was good, but it wasn't a particularly good room for it, far too warm down there in the bowels of the Cathedral! We were sat on the same row as Dazza, it was obvious he was a very big fan, and I did see his picture of the girls, which was quite stunning. If we do go again, maybe we will speak to him!

[dazza]

Hi Shazza,

A warm welcome to the forum.

When I read your first post I had the feeling that you might have been the couple that was moved back to the second, then the third row with me. I am glad that you enjoyed the concert though, the girls really are stunning live.

I am really sorry that you didn't get to see the girls afterwards. I feel a little guilty knowing there were people who didn't meet them as I have met them before. I hope that you get the opportunity in the future.

I agree with comments that the room for the V.I.P reception afterwards wasn't ideal. At York there was more space and it was a lot more relaxed too, things seemed to be more rushed at Coventry. (I'm assuming it was because of the concert the next day)

I didn't go over to the girls straight away, but having been told that there wasn't as much time, I gave them the present, had a quick photo and then let others meet the girls, though I had a quick conversation with Daisy later on. I still enjoyed it though, and it was nice to meet Melanie's parents for the first time too.

I look forward to seeing you hopefully at a future concert.

Dazza