AHOY ME 'ARTIES

Eight members of Barnt Green Choral joined with Bromsgrove Community Choir on Tuesday 1 July 2025 to perform the inventive modern-day cantata ‘AHOY! Sing for the Mary Rose’ at The Artrix Theatre. 

The full-day workshop, organised by Bromsgrove Festival’s Steve Cowperthwaite, involved the adult choir, 130 children from three local schools, and a live band performing the arrangement by leading modern-day composer Alexander L’Estrange. The work comprised catchy tunes and toe-tapping sea shanties from the time of King Henry VIII, plus an original song, Full Fathom Five, by L’Estrange.

L'Estrange led the whole day - rehearsals in the morning, rehearsals in the afternoon, and a sell-out Artrix concert at 6.00pm – in his well-known friendly, up-lifting, and technically challenging style.  Everyone had a really enjoyable time. It is probably something the children will remember for the rest of their lives.