Running With Cheese

Such a pleasure to be back in Sydney and to reconnect with the Café of the Gate of Salvation and all the ex-members who turned up at rehearsal and to the gig at the Factory, Marrickville. There may have been chaos at the soundcheck, but once they hit the stage the choir sounded beautiful, and I'm very appreciative of their keeping on with so many of my songs and arrangements, some of which I hadn't heard for a few years.   
As well as the choir (and the expanded choir), the bill included the quartets that have grown out of the choir: Resurrection Shuffle (a superb version of I was praying), Sorelle (beautiful), the Gospelettes of Metropolis (faithful homage to the Gospel Harmonettes of Demopolis) and the Heavenly Lights, reunited with Wi Selwyn. The night finished with everyone on stage backed up by DIG, funking it out on Spirit in the Dark and others. Wi Selwyn, in particular, sounded gorgeous - his version of The heart of Jesus in rehearsal was the high point of the reunion for me - very moving, I had a tear in my eye and I wasn't alone in that. Also hearing Brendan Mooney (up from Adelaide) singing I was praying was outstanding, in a gig where every soloist was hot. Coming the longest distance to be there was the friend of the choir, E. Patrick Johnson who flew in from Chicago, and who led Heaven on my mind with effortless charisma. My congratulations to the choir and to Dynes, Fi, Frank and Judith and all the members.