The Student Song and Dance Show, 2019

The Song and Dance Course (which never had an official English name I ever heard of, though there was probably a Chinese one) ran for three academic years at our university. Each time we ended on a stage-show, where the faculty members who'd taught on the module presented their students' work.

Summer 2019's was the last to date, though none of us guessed it at the time. It was my honour to be the only international lecturer ever to instruct on this course, and although I chose my students' songs for the end-of-semester shows, each group's performance was very much their own.

Following some kind words on our Discord channel about a clip from the 2019 event which I posted there, I thought I'd pull together all the footage that survived and share it with my friends here on Vocal. So let's lower the lights, and take your places in the auditorium please...!

1) These are my girls!

One of our campus power-couples, Kelly on the right and Linshaw (yes, Linshaw) on the left, started the show. I couldn't think of a better choice for them than the sixties standard you're about to hear, although obviously they're both too young to have ever heard of Dusty...

Yes, Linshaw gets most of the second verse wrong. And yes, they mess up the third (both times). But you can't know how proud I was of them.

As of this performance, the show was on!

2) I like both kinds of music

Now we Brits, and the Chinese, just love country and western. Judy Collins I think may have been a new one on my students and colleagues, but for the many Stetson-wearing Vocalists such as Dana, Dana and Rick, not to mention Babs of course, this couldn't have worked out better. Take it away, May!

(And yes, that was Kelly again, getting a bit overexcited in the audience.)

3) Bring on Belinda, Beverley and the Beatles!

I'm sorry the following three are only fragments, and I hope footage of each complete performance comes to light one day. Starting out with a whole gang from Class Three, here's the beginnings of Beverley Craven!

Now for Alice and the Alice-ettes, unforgettable Belinda Carlisle rendition which I only wish I could show you in full!

And lastly, proving that once the cheer-closet's open there's just no closing it, here's Phylia (left) and Yolanda (right) plus squad, giving us a little Fab Four. The one who really makes this clip for me though is Regina, with the golden hair. Regina was lovely, but song and dance really wasn't her thing. Keep an eye on her, as she keeps an eye on what everyone else is doing...

4) Carnegie Hall

Not so long ago, I myself secured a gig at a summer fayre in Bromsgrove (the big time). Once the booking was confirmed, I had to ask my brother who lives in the area: "How do you get to Bromsgrove?" Quick as a flash the answer came back: "As you've already demonstrated, Joseph...practice!"

(Because obviously, it would have been too much effort to just say "Change trains at Longbridge.")

There's much truth in the witticism, and yet at the same time, too much practice and the girls of Class Four might not have ended up the stars of the show. For the following performance is the one everybody was talking about afterwards, and I can't think of a better way to close. Brace yourselves, Vocal friends...

Well, there I'm afraid our evening will have to conclude. They do say to always leave your audience wanting more! But fear not, because one of these days I'm sure we'll relaunch the old Song and Dance Course, and a new generation of Doc Sherwood's girls will rock out Northeast China once more!