Article: WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS, by BILL STEPHENS

What is it that keeps us going to live performances? For me it is the prospect of witnessing a performance that will live in my memory beyond the finale, or the possibility of experiencing a Magic Moment—you know…a performance that raises the hairs of the back of one's neck. Sometimes it can happen in the most unlikely circumstances, such as the Magic Moment I experienced during the fund raising concert With A Little Help From my Friends at the Canberra Southern Cross Club. 

Last year a similar concert was organised to assist the local music theatre performer David Pearson raise funds to undertake a course of study in London. Such was the response to that concert that it was decided to make With A Little Help From my Friends an annual event.

There has to be an explanation of the reason for this year's performance. After directing a reading of the new Rob Evans play A Girl in a Car with a Man at the 2004 Australian National Playwrights' Conference, local theatre director Lenore McGregor applied for the NSW/ACT exclusive performing rights. She was successful and will now direct the Australian premiere in April 2005, and tour it to Sydney after this season. 

However, after McGregor had set up all her plans, the play beat 550 other submissions to be selected for a production a the internationally renowned Royal Court Young Writers Festival. In preparation for that production, playwright Rob Evan wrote an additional character into his play. This caused McGregor a few problems because the need for an extra actor increased the cost of the production. 

So, with the assistance of Karen Strahan and The Southern Cross Club, McGregor produced the 2004 edition of With A Little Help From my Friends, to raise money to help defray the additional cost of her forthcoming production.

Gaye Reid

The concert was compered by Canberra newcomer, Miss Maggie, who also sang several songs during the evening. Among the artists who contributed their talent were Peter Hayes and Julie McElhone Hayes, who accompanied themselves on guitars to perform several songs, including their own composition One Year. The Dark Side Divas flashed their sequins in an impressive Queen Medley, Lisa McClellan turned up the heat with her sultry version of All That Jazz, while Dizzi De Cazz put everyone into relax mode with some Dean Martin favourites. Chameleon Diane Mason conjured up Marilyn Monroe and performed a cheeky take on Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend then returned later as a glamorous Elvis Presley.

Resplendent in sequins and red feather boa, Gaye Reid offered a raunchy When You're Good To Mamma. Angela Lount, backed by John Black, Noddy Brassington and James Luke, performed a sophisticated arrangement of Can't Take My Eyes off You, while Karen Strahan sang a lovely version of Janice Ian's Jessie.

Gery Scott

Then came the Magic Moment. Grande Dame of the Canberra jazz scene, Gery Scott, now in her 81st year, took the stage. Meticulously coiffured and gowned, she sang her first song, an upbeat arrangement of Give Me the Simple Life. Then she asked the lighting man to dim the lights, a little display of showmanship which immediately made for a more intimate mood. After telling the audience that in searching for something special to offer them at this concert she had decided on Irving Berlin's How Deep is the Ocean, she confided that, only this morning, she had the idea of interpolating another Berlin song 'Always' into the arrangement, and had rung her accompanist John Black to rearrange the piece for her. With that, she dedicated her performance to Black, and told him that if he got it wrong it would be a performance he would never forget. Nobody in the audience doubted her.

Having succeeded in getting everyone on the edge of their seats, Scott then sang an exquisitely arranged and phrased performance of these two lovely songs, in which she was accompanied with great sensitivity and feeling by Black on piano, Brassington on Drums and Luke on the double bass. It was a consummate performance of rare artistry and certainly one which will live in my mind for many years to come.

Originally published in Artlook Magazine (Canberra), August 2004

Bill Stephens was artlook's Contributing Editor (music) at the time