This show was a launch event for the debut self-titled EP by The Sea & I on the record's release date. You can find out more at The Sea & I online
The Sea & I don't do things by halves and this show was well worth seeing. I arrived just about in time to get one of the last seats left in this fabulous old church that has been a site of Christian worship since about AD380 or so and is these days raising funds for some crucial works to stop it from collapsing. You can donate to this very worthwhile cause here:
Old St. Pancras appeal online.
The church is Anglo-Catholic and even with only half its original churchyard is still a very atmospheric place that was perfect for the night's first act, The London Chamber Brass to perform.
London Chamber Brass are, as the name suggests, a Chamber Brass band that has 10 members sadly none of whom were playing a crumhorn but that aside they played Chamber music in a semi-circle and were bathed in dry ice. It was, of course, a perfect setting for this kind of music and no matter how hot an evening they remained cool looking. The trumpets soared and carried us away nicely they played some short pieces; the third of which sounded like a trumpet-led eulogy or lament to some long lost friend or relative.
That was followed by a piece that sounded like we ought to be dancing a quadrille to it and it had some percussion that was played on a tambourine. They also did what sounded like a hunting call tune that after playing the band leader said was called Fairie Round by Anthony Holborne.
He also then made the brave statement in an Anglo-catholic church that the band's final number was written by Henry VIII who had set out to destroy Anglo-Catholicism. The piece was called Past times of Good Company that was a good jolly sort of chamber dance number which climaxed a short and interesting set, provoking a huge round of applause from the standing room only crowd of about 120.
After a short break during which time they made sure the light show was ready and working to make the church even hotter than it already was, the London Chamber came back out to accompany The Sea & I who were this evening a 6-piece core band but swelled to a 16-piece with the brass section and as the light show began and the dry ice drifted over them, a recording of the shipping forecast signalled the beginning of the first number. It was about the waves being for me as this sound slowly built with guitars and percussion as if the ocean was about to flood the church as the lead singer (who I assume was Irwin Sparkes but might have been Paul Frith?) sang about how you shouldn't watch TV as the track built to a crescendo.
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The second number was sort of a cross between an Orchestral Radiohead and the Waterboys and I'm guessing was called Improve. When the huge sound subsided in the musical break down, it found the band singing "I'll Be Better" over and over. That was followed by a slow building lament that is probably Broken from the EP as he was singing about playing the long game and you belong out here as the brass rose and fell and the sound meshed with the light show bringing all sorts of ghosts out to play in my mind. That was then followed by a slow Oompah style tune that sort of settled us down for the next twist in the set.
As suddenly there was a 9 voice choir singing from the choir balcony in front of the pipe organ that was actually behind most of the audience. The choir, I later discovered, were the London Contemporary Voices. That they were singing in Latin seemed only fitting and after the initial choral part, the band started to play and the choir descended to join them on stage so that we had a huge 25 piece band playing this incredible, slowly building piece that truly filled the church with the most sepulchral sounds as they transcended anything I might have been prepared for.
It was an incredible finale of big band church music that brought the show to an end via raucous applause for everyone involved in what was a pretty special evening's music in a very special old church.
If the Sea & I are playing a concert near you I would urge you to go and see what they are doing as they provide a unique evening's music and entertainment.
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