On Sunday 7th February 2016 we performed in Wessex Heartbeat’s wonderful show Dancing with Choirs at the Portsmouth Guildhall. This was the second time we had appeared in a charity show for Wessex Heartbeat, a fantastic charity whose driving ambition is to help achieve the very best care for people with heart conditions treated in the Wessex Cardiac Centre, Southampton. The more than £13 million they’ve raised since the Charity was set up in 1992 has put in place crucial extra improvements in the Wessex Cardiac Centre, that wouldn’t otherwise have happened. These include major projects to create Heartbeat House, the children’s Ocean Ward and the Heartbeat Education Centre, as well as regular funding of leading-edge equipment, clinical education and research.
The lovely actress, Sarah Parish was compare for the evening. Sarah and her husband Jim Murray run The Murray Parish Trust, a charity who supports the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Southampton General Hospital.
Spinnaker Chorus were one of six choirs to perform on the night. It was a special and emotional evening for our lovely MD Jenny Savory, as this was the last performance she would direct. Jenny is standing down after 5 years to return to being a singing Spinnakerette. We sang six songs in total and were joined on stage by various dance groups who added their interpretations to our singing. We debuted our latest song ‘Skyfall‘, and were accompanied by the amazing Parkewood School of Dance, who added their magic and excitement to this James Bond theme tune.
Special guests for the evening were Paddy and Nico of Britain’s Got Talent fame. At their audition for the BGT show judge Amanda Holden used her Golden Buzzer which sent the pair straight to the semi final. Paddy currently holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest acrobatic Salsa dancer.
With a full stage of performers and rousing rendition of Celebrate Good Times as a finale the evening ended. Exhausted and exhilarated from a wonderful experience we took our tired selves home to our very welcoming beds.
