'MUSIC - the ultimate recession buster' is the headline of the leading article by the Chief Executive of The National Association of Music Societies in its journal, Highnotes.
The item compares the cost of a beer and a glass of wine - £5, a meal out with half a bottle of wine - £20 minimum, average ticket to The Lion King - £70, to the cost of a ticket (usually around the £10 mark) to an amateur concert.
Certainly for o
ur usual £10 you can enjoy a chorus of around 100 voices accompanied by a substantial professional orchestra and fine soloists.
Add in the free coach from Battle to the concert and it is astonishing value.
The article goes on to say that 'amateur groups rarely depend extensively on external funding' and that 'the voluntary sector is more resilient than its professional counterpart in times of economic trouble'. Well we work very hard at making it so.
Singing is certainly a recession gloom buster and our spirits are always high after rehearsals in the Memorial Hall on Monday evenings, especially after we've sung the Grand March from Verdi's Aida as fortissimo as we can muster or one of the great choruses from Rossini's sublime Stabat Mater.
Some of these have to be performed unaccompanied - so no worries there then!
Our Spring Concert on May 30 at the De La Warr Pavilion includes lots of popular choruses from Italian opera such as The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves and the Easter Hymn from Cavalleria Rusticana.
This is quite a change for many in the choir more used to singing sacred choral music.
Italian opera is exuberant and expansive and it can only be a matter of time before our director, John Langridge, encourages us to relax into a particularly smooth and lyrical moment with 'think Wall's Cornetto' (as he has been known to in the present financial climate we are very fortunate to have substantial funding already in place for this particular concert and whilst there will be the inevitable nail-biting, at least we won't be taking the tips of our fingers off too.
It is going to be a great evening of magnificent music and, of course, will include Nessun Dorma sung by a wonderful tenor.
Our 'Artist in Residence' is once again creating a brilliant poster for us with the prow of a gondola against a colourful watery background.
In view of John's possible 'Cornetto' directions to us, how very appropriate!
Further details on 01424 424339 or 870862.
