SuBo turns up to music Showcase at Bathgate Regal

Sep 22 2011 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

subo

STARS of a music showcase at Bathgate Regal Community Theatre had a visit from a special guest recently.

Singing sensation Susan Boyle popped in to the show, which is part of the Bathgate Music Festival last Wednesday.

Organised and compered by the inimitable Charles Earley, member of the Regal Board, the showcase gave some of the extremely talented singers, dancers and musicians in West Lothian an opportunity to perform in front of a live audience.

Performers of all ages wowed the audience who were full of praise, and Charles commented on how delighted he was with the great turnout and superb standard of the talent in the show. After two audition evenings, 15 finalists were chosen to take part in the Showcase.

Three dance troupes took part, 'Isobel Ross Dance Moves', 'The Yvonne Wright Dance School' and 'The Janice Anne Wilson School of Dancing'.

Also participating were six superb soloists, Lindsay Mills, Heather Gourdie, Aaron Stewart, Sophie Halpin, Fionne McQue and Toni Williamson. The two duos were Pete Kavanagh and his wife and James Kerr and Victoria Davidson.

Musicians, Tom Farham (fiddle) and Neil Wells (accordion), went down a storm, as did Band , 'A Week on Monday' (Michael Clark, Matthew Clark, Liam Dempsey and David Connelly) who performed one of their own compositions.

The two final performers were talented guitarists and singer/songwriters, Jay Scally and Kirsten MacDonald.

As an unexpected treat for the audience and participants, Susan Boyle, who has herself taken part in many local showcases in the past, came along to support the acts and the evening.

To the delight of the audience Susan mingled with everyone during the interval, and patiently signed autographs and posed for photos.

Charles thanked her for coming and invited her to pose with the cast at the end of the show. Susan said that she was very impressed with the standard of the performances and picked out one or two whom she thought were exceptional.

Thanks go to pianist Aileen Anderson who accompanied some of the singers, and to everyone who worked to put on a thrilling, thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining evening.