Hailing from the fictional village of Pocket comes a new a cappella show. Combining beautiful harmonies, original music, with much laughter and even improvised singing sessions, the Pocket Choral Society feature four experienced singers blending into one.
Click here for tickets.
Singing unamplified the quartet bring lots of their own songs and new arrangements of some more well known numbers from songwriters like Lennon & McCartney, Flanders & Swann and Tom Waits in an intimate and relaxed way.
This is very much a music show but, performed as four characters from the village of Pocket, the show also includes an element of theatre through the characterisations, peppering the show with moments of rural life.
All key residents of the village of Pocket, Al, Beth, Jonathan and Oliver bring a wealth of musical experience to the Society.
Oliver Carpenter
Now the village farmer, Oliver has been a stalwart on the rural touring scene for many years with both Mumbo-Jumbo and acappella quadruplets Men in General. His quirky songwriting has been enjoyed by many and was selected for the official 75th Anniversary of VE Day song and was twice shortlisted in the British Blues Awards.
A serial festival organiser, including the infamous ‘Pocket Rock Festival’, Oliver has fronted bands that have featured at major blues, folk and jazz festivals across the country.
Jonathan Darby
Licensee at The Crippled Pigeon, Jonathan is also a founder member of the 30s/40s vocal quartet Berkeley Square and resident vocalist with The West Midland Light Orchestra. He has sung in France and Switzerland as part of The London Christmas Carollers and made a terrible racket as bass player/singer with The Surftones.
When not being musical he has a habit of being theatrical from Shakespeare to pantomime and all stops in between, including several small tours of the one man play Jesus My Boy.
Beth Naylor
General shop assistant at the Pocket Convenience Store and knower of all village residents Beth has sung with an eclectic selection of projects over the years including The Big Blues Tribe with Oliver, Folk Band The Hectic Reveries, all girl close harmony group The Barberettes, The Valentines, Kidderminster Choral Society, and in her youth The Staffordshire County Youth Choir.
Beth is a vocal teacher at the local high school and has the ultimate goal of getting more students to experience the joy of singing!
Beth also plays the cornet and flugelhorn. You can often see her tootling away on various bandstands throughout the Worcestershire area during the summer and Carolling in the cold during the month of December.
Alastair Elliott
Before becoming the village priest in slightly dubious circumstances, Al was a keen amateur singer, organist and musical director. Originally schooled in church music Al was Head Chorister at Bath Abbey. Having learned singing with Nigel Perrin (one of the original Kings Singers) he was a member Exmoor Singers in London.
Now a leading Musical Director of Bewdley Choral Society and Bewdley Camarata he is also part of the Bewdley Festival organising committee and a leading mover in developing choral, classical and other musical programmes in North Worcestershire.
For more info on The Pocket Choral Society and to watch videos, follow the links below:
https://pocketchoralsociety.co.uk
https://youtu.be/-YuoR5rU-ss
Doors: 7pm / Perfomance: 8pm (2 sets + interval) / 18+ (14+ accompanied by an adult) / Licensed bar available