They say that death and taxes are the only two certainties in life. I’d like to expand that to include Farleigh’s annual Songs for a Summer Evening always falling on one of the hottest days of the year! Somehow it didn’t matter just how uncomfortable we all were in a packed and sweltering Recital Hall because we were all lifted by the joy and energy of the music. What can be more uplifting than the sound of children’s voices singing, as aptly put by The New Seekers, ‘in perfect harmony’?

And the harmony really was perfect, the younger half of the choir setting the tone with a glorious rendition of Zach Williams’ gospel inspired Old Church Choir before calming the mood with a beautiful performance of the immortal True Colors by Cindi Lauper. Tim Minchin’s energetic Revolting Children closed their set before the 18-strong Boys’ Noise took their place on the performance floor. They opened with two 1960s classics, California Dreamin’ and Hey Jude before channelling their inner N*Sync with an engaging (and sometimes edgy!) performance of I Want it That Way.

Impressive in a different (perhaps more refined) way were their counterparts, the Girls’ Close Harmony. They too channelled their 1990s pop icons, this time the Spice Girls, with a slick performance of Stop before launching into Fleetwood Mac’s haunting Landslide and closing their set with a challenging and spectacular performance of an arrangement of One Day More from Les Miserables.

To round off the evening, the senior choir performed three joyful pieces: a lively Spread the Love Around from Sister Act, a heartfelt Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen, and, to close, Put a Little Love in Your Heart.

There is no doubting that the standard was as phenomenal as the temperature was high in that room, but it was the sheer passion for singing which trumped everything. Ably accompanied by Mrs Rockhill and Mr Thurstans, each group excelled under Mrs Hickson’s superb direction. As I remarked at the end of the evening, there really is nobody who does it better.

Marcus Reeves, Director of Music 

23rd June 2026