Singing and dancing for Christmas

THE second week of this year’s Henley Living Advent Calendar saw its largest collection ever received in one night.

A total of £820 was raised for children’s charities ABC to Read and Clear Sky following a performance by the Average Wife Band on Sunday night.

About 150 people arrived for night eight of this year’s event, which was held in the Finlay Suite at Phyllis Court Club.

The 10-piece party band, which is led by lead vocalist Lucie Henwood, from Henley, was accompanied by the Miles School of Dancing.

Members of the group danced routines including the cha-cha, jive and the waltz while the band performed a diverse set, including Winter Wonderland by Bing Crosby, Dancing in the Moonlight by Toploader, Flowers by Miley Cyrus and Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty.

The amount collected at the end of the performances surpassed the previous record where £741 was raised at the town hall in 2022.

Richard Rodway, who organises the calendar, said: “It’s terrific. To all those involved on Sunday, it was a great reward for what was a great event. How they laid out the ballroom made it a fantastic occasion and it was absolutely packed. It was very ‘Strictly Come Henley’.”

He added: “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the performer was the same one that raised the previous highest amount in 2022.”

On Wednesday last week, night four of the calendar, singer Daisy Smith, 38, performed at Leander Club, where more than 100 people gathered in the garden to see her.

She performed Christmas songs and her set-list included Have Yourself a Merry Christmas, Santa Baby, White Christmas, Some Enchanted Evening from the film South Pacific and For Good from the film Wicked.

Ms Smith, who is the communications manager at Henley Town Council, said: “I always love performing at the Living Advent Calendar, it has always been different. Each time I have performed it has been at a different venue, which brings a different challenge.

“I have waitressed here before but not sung here before. The view is amazing and it definitely adds to the prestige. I have endlessly practised. I think my child is fed up with me singing.”

The night was sponsored by Niki Schafer Interior Design and raised £540 for Camp Mohawk.

On Thursday last week, a group of singers and a performing arts troupe rocked Holy Trinity Church.

About 16 dancers from Stagecoach Performing Arts Henley and Marlow dazzled audience members with a collection of contemporary routines to Christmas hits including All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey and Last Christmas by Wham!

The children dressed for the occasion with antler and Christmas tree deely boppers, sequin blazers and Santa hats.

Different age groups took it in turns to perform festive hits before concluding their act all-together with a Christmas remix before bowing to the crowd.

Mr Rodway then introduced the group of more than 40 Rock Choir members hailing from Henley, Reading and Fleet.

Performing a mixture of popular hits and Christmas songs, the choir had also dressed in Santa hats. They opened their act with a mashup of The First Noel and Silent Night before leading into Flashdance...What a Feeling.

Choir leader Lucy Hewes said it was a joy to be performing the number to the audience at the church in Greys Hill. It then sang I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith, Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses and What Christmas Means to Me by Stevie Wonder.

They finished on The Carol of the Bells, by Mykola Leontovych, for which some members held and tapped handbells on their knees.

The event raised £387 for the Henley Regatta for the Disabled, which allows people of all abilities to experience boating.

Choir member Philip Cox-Hynd, of Gravel Hill in Henley, said he had performed with the Rock Choir for the calendar seven times.

Mr Cox-Hynd said: “It makes me feel joyous. It’s lovely to give something back. We sing every week and we rehearse once a week and we do gigs for charity probably six or seven times leading up to Christmas.

“Singing generally makes people feel good and lifts their spirits. It certainly does for me. It lifts my mood and I always feel better driving home after singing.”

Janine FitzGerald, a trustee for the Regatta for the Disabled, said: “We’re always needing funds and any money that’s raised tonight will go towards the event that takes place on the last Saturday of August every year.

“Tonight was excellent because I thought it was very much a community event and to hold this at the church was wonderful. It was a really good atmosphere and everybody was extremely generous. We're very grateful.”

The beer garden at the Anchor pub in Friday Street was packed with more than 100 people last Friday. The surprise act was Jonny Bidgood, a parish councillor from Sonning Common, who performed under the stage name Jonny B.

He wore a festive floral jacket with a fedora decorated with festive tinsel and entertained the audience performing songs while he played his electric guitar.

The set list included Happy Xmas (War is Over) by John Lennon and Yoko/The Plastic Ono Band, which he dedicated to those suffering from the war in Ukraine, and Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, which he dedicated to his late aunt.

He also performed Merry Christmas Everyone by Shakin’ Stevens, to which the audience clapped and sang along, and Merry Xmas Everybody by Slade.

Mr Bidgood invited Mr Rodway on stage to recite a skit where they imitated Italian accents to introduce Lou Monte’s Dominick the Donkey. He then invited the audience to join in the song, who responded enthusiastically to his “chickety-chick” with a chorus of “ee-yore, ee-yore”.

For the song, Mr Bidgood also brought out his grey donkey, Dominick, which was knitted by Sonning Common Women’s Institute.

Mr Bidgood, who has performed the event for the past three years, said it was great to see that the weather didn’t scare people off.

He said: “We were worried because of the imminent storm that people wouldn’t want to stand outside in the crowd, but they did in quite a few numbers, and it was a great audience. They really joined in, so it was really a memorable evening.

“It’s a good event, and it’s for charity so it’s a good thing. I’m working on some recordings at the moment so I haven’t been doing too many performances so that’s what I’ve been mostly doing.”

The night raised £407 for the Henley Community Hub.

On Saturday, jazz band Blue Magoos performed to more than 100 people at the Henley Masonic Centre in Reading Road, where guests were given prosecco on arrival.

The band had decorated one of the mic stands in tinsel and some put on their Santa hats before they began their set of jazz standards with the concert piece Second Line by Joe Avery’s Blues. The band comprised seven members, Graeme Wood (saxophone), Bryan McCrae (aerophone), Fitz Thomas (bass guitar), Steve Rivett (guitar), Annie Parker (flute), Mike O’Riley (drums) and Richie Fraser (piano).

Revellers enjoyed covers including Alligator Boogaloo by Lou Donaldson, Mercy Mercy Mercy by Cannonball Adderley and Samba Cantina by Paul Desmond.

The group introduced their final song Winter Wonderland by passing song sheets to the crowd to encourage audience participation.

Afterwards, there was a raffle in aid of Bishopswood Special School in Sonning Common which supports children and young people with special needs and the night raised about £380.

Kayleigh Simmons, parent and chair of the parent and teacher association, said: “Tonight has been amazing. We’re raising funds for a minibus at the moment so our kids can get out and about into the community and access activities outside of school.”

On Monday, The Abbey school’s brass band performed at the Relais Hotel in Hart Street, where more than 100 people gathered in the courtyard to watch their performance.

The night was sponsored by the hotel and raised £367 for the Henley Talking Newspaper.

Chairwoman Jane Case said: “We are a little-known initiative and registered charity that was founded 42 years ago.

“Every week we record an hour’s worth of material from our august and well-respected local newspaper the Henley Standard. This is then posted to those blind and partially sighted in Henley and the surrounding towns, villages and beyond, free of charge.”

The remaining performances will be at the following venues:  12 Handelsbanken; 13 River & Rowing Museum; 14 Robinson Sherston; 15 the Kenton Theatre;  16  Hart Street Tavern;  17  Simmons & Sons; 18  Hotel du Vin;  19  Chiltern House Business Centre; 20 the Eyot Centre; 21 Henley Rugby Club; 22 Henley Cricket Club; 23 town hall; 24  St Mary’s Church.