The Coronavirus pandemic and ensuing lockdown from Spring 2020 onwards caused a devastating blow to the live music and entertainment industry in the UK and worldwide. At a stroke, theatres and smaller venues were forced to close their doors, and thousands of musicians lost their primary source of income.
Some artists took to live streaming music online as a way of staying connected with their fan base and maintaining some income from virtual “tip-jars” or pre-paid ticketed events.
A number of classical crossover artists took part in curated concerts and events which were mostly pre-recorded but were broadcast on social media with a live chat in which artists and fans alike could share their reactions as they watched and listened. These events introduced well-loved and new artists to a dedicated group of fans worldwide, most of whom would never have had the chance to see some of these artists live.
For many other artists, however, this type of online event was either not feasible, or just not something which they felt was right for them.
The sudden growth of online music has been such that from the first week of lockdown there has practically never been a time, day or night when I could not find some live music that I liked to watch. Great as this has been (and a lifeline for both artists and fans) there is nothing for me that quite matches the experience of being in the same place, being able to see and hear musicians without the intermediary of a computer screen, and for the artists to be able to see and hear (at appropriate times) the audience.
In the UK there was a partial relaxation of regulations which allowed some live music to happen in the summer and autumn of 2020, but under strictly controlled conditions with limits on audience numbers. Many venues were still not able to re-open and opportunities for some artists were few and far between. Then we were plunged into lockdown again just before Christmas and public performances could not happen for several months.
Outdoor music was allowed to resume from mid-April 2021; indoor events followed five weeks later but still with socially distanced audiences, which remains in force at the time of writing.
Having expanded my musical horizons over the past few years, I have been delighted to take full advantage of the wealth of live music on offer in the London area since April, from folk, pop and country to musical theatre and classical. But I only managed a total of five classical crossover live events in the whole of 2020 and I had been starved of my favourite genre since last October.
It was such a relief then, when Joanna Forest announced a concert at Crazy Coqs at the end of June. Crazy Coqs (near Piccadilly Circus in London) is one of my favourite venues. I have been there many times to see classical crossover artists and others, but my last visit was back in January 2020. Joanna is one of the most friendly and welcoming people I know. I last saw her with Mary-Jess on their Christmas tour in 2019 and she had kept a pretty low profile (not intended as a reflection on her stature) during the lockdowns; it would be so lovely to see her again.
I went to check my diary before booking and… Panic!!! The date coincided with my booking for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new production of Cinderella, so very sadly I messaged Joanna to apologise for not being able to be there. But God works in mysterious ways. The worsening Covid situation in the UK caused ALW to delay the opening of his show and a few weeks later I received an email telling me that my booking had been rescheduled. At this news, I was on to the Crazy Coqs website like a flash, and with great elation managed to secure one of the two remaining tables for Joanna’s show.
So on to the 28th June. Crazy Coqs do two shows most evenings and Joanna’s was the first, so I finished work early and set off for London. The timing of my local trains meant that I would get there either half an hour early or just as the show started; I didn’t want to risk the latter. Crazy Coqs is an intimate venue with cabaret-style seating at small tables, none of them being very far from the stage. My table was close to the entrance door and as I was waiting I was delighted to see a number of very good friends arriving – my first time seeing any of them in more than 18 months.
As 7 pm approached, the doors were closed, the background music faded and the lights were dimmed. Some striking introductory music came through the speakers, the stage lights came up and Joanna emerged through the door wearing a long frilly pale pink dress with an enormous train. I was praying that she wouldn’t trip over as she climbed to the stage, but she succeeded without mishap and launched into Sposa Son Disprezzata, the opening track from her debut album ‘Stars are Rising’. It was so good and somewhat emotional to hear Joanna’s amazing voice again.
Joanna then introduced pianist Jason Carr, who would be accompanying her for most of the rest of the concert. She explained that her choice of songs would be taking us down her ‘Musical Memory Lane’ with highlights from her career.
The next two songs were Parla Piu Piano and O Mio Babbino Caro
Although the first three songs had been in Italian, Joanna felt obliged to point out that her education in Italian had been sadly lacking, the name of her drama school ‘Italia Conti’ being as close as she got to the language. So she had to learn the meaning and pronunciation of the words to be able to sing them properly.
Now it was time for Joanna to introduce her long-time friend Daniella Bowen. They had first worked together in a production of Dr. Dolittle, in which Joanna had played the part of a little boy, while Daniella was one end of a Pushmi-Pullyu.
Daniella should have been playing in ‘Tina, The Musical’, but government restrictions had delayed the opening of the show, which allowed her to join Joanna for this evening. She came on stage to give a wonderful performance of The Way We Were.
Joanna went on to talk about the recording of her debut album ‘Stars Are Rising’. At the first studio recording session, the producer had asked her “Can you read music?” Oops! The answer was “No”. Nevertheless, they found a way through, and the next song that Joanna treated us to was the gorgeous My Everything.
Joanna recalled with some fondness her time at Angel Studios in London, where she had recorded the next song – the beautiful Pure Imagination.
On its release, the album shot to number 1 in the UK Classical Charts, and Joanna was asked to headline at the Bedford Park Proms in August 2017. Joanna’s arrangement for Life on Mars had some tricky entrances and she had nearly missed her cue, but tonight she was spot-on with a little help from her husband James.
Joanna mentioned her collaboration with composer Olga Thomas, in songs to celebrate special moments in the life of the British Royal Family – the Queen and Prince Philip’s Platinum Wedding, and the marriage of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle.
Joanna’s second album ‘The Rhythm of Life’ took a more child-centred theme, and she told us for one video they had wanted to depict winter scenes, but it was shot in the heat of summer so she had felt somewhat overdressed. The temperature was just right this evening for Hushabye Mountain, though the high stool did present a significant challenge for Joanna.
One particularly memorable moment for Joanna was when she had been asked to take part in a recording for BBC Songs of Praise together with her friend Mary-Jess, singing an arrangement by Mike Christie, combining two of the popular versions of Ave Maria.
Joanna’s next treat for us was a beautiful medley of Ave Maria (Schubert), Pie Jesu (Lloyd Webber) and Ave Maria (Bach/Gounod).
Joanna’s most moving and proudest moment, she told us, was when she had sung for the Unsung Hero Awards, and nobody in the audience could have remained unmoved by Joanna’s World In Union.
The concert was rapidly drawing towards its close, and all too soon it was Time to Say Goodbye.
Thankfully that was not quite the end, and the finale was a rousing performance of Nessun Dorma, for which we were invited to wave our ‘jazz hands’ at the climax, which was of course followed by rapturous applause and a standing ovation.
I am sure I remember reading when booking on the Crazy Coqs website that it would not be possible for the performers to meet the audience after the show due to Covid regulations. Thankfully, either Joanna had not been informed of this or the staff were more relaxed, as Joanna took the time to talk to everyone in the foyer who had waited to see her. For me, meeting the artists is a huge part of the appeal of classical crossover music. Joanna was as friendly and welcoming as ever, and I left with a huge smile on my face (underneath the mask).
Song list:
Sposa Son Disprezzata
Parla Piu Piano
O Mio Babbino Caro
The Way We Were – Daniella Bowen
My Everything
Pure Imagination
Life on Mars
Hushabye Mountain
Ave Maria / Pie Jesu / Ave Maria
World in Union
Time to Say Goodbye
Nessun Dorma