This weekend saw singer extraordinaire Sally Bayly and her hugely talented and accomplished musical compadres take to the stage once again for a Rye Arts Festival extra feast — two dazzling performances celebrating the legendary songs of James Bond.
The evening was a thrilling cocktail of glamour, nostalgia, and musical mastery, interwoven with fascinating and fun-filled facts from over sixty years of 007 cinema history.
Sally, along with inspired musical director and pianist Malcolm Newton, superb violinist Nuri Köseoglu, accomplished London double bassist Jonny Gee, and charismatic TV actor Jonathan Wrather, delivered performances of the highest calibre. Actor Jonathan’s cool, suave, Bond-esque deliveries were not only highly entertaining and informative but also delightfully humorous — “You expect me to talk??” ,“No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!!”
No Bond performance would be complete without a touch of last-minute drama, and this weekend was no exception! The suspense peaked when Jonny Gee made a dramatic entrance moments before curtain-up — double bass on his back and his elegant lurcher Kafka by his side.
While the audience waited, Dena Smith Ellis held the fort, keeping spirits high with warm remarks about the show’s mission to raise funds for Motor Neuron Disease research in memory of the much-loved Martin Wimbush, a personal friend to most in attendance. She also hosted the lively Bond quiz both nights — with Saturday’s winners, a couple who proudly claimed to have seen every Bond film on the big screen, graciously passing their prize—a 1953 bottle of Dom Perignon (which may or may not have been authentic!)—to local photographers Stu and Sam. Sunday’s winner, who got every answer correct (naturally!), turned out to be none other than the editor of 007 Magazine — who gallantly declined his prize. Other quiz prizes across the weekend included Bond-themed CDs, DVDs, and books, with Rye News reporter Heidi Foster among the lucky recipients.
Saturday evening also featured a raffle, with the main prize — a stunning Brenda Hartill painting — going to Mark Beauchuard, son of Rosemary Beauchuard. The painting was generously donated by a fellow attendee in honour of his recently departed wife, adding a touching note of humanity to the night’s festivities.
The musical journey spanned the eras from Connery to Craig, featuring timeless hits such as From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die, Nobody Does It Better, You Only Live Twice, For Your Eyes Only, The World Is Not Enough, Skyfall, and many more — all brilliantly arranged and reinvented by the inspired Malcolm Newton — leaving audiences both shaken and stirred.
Both performances were graciously introduced by The Right Worshipful the Mayor of Rye, Andy Stuart.
The team raised an impressive £400 for Motor Neuron Disease research — and the Bond crew now have their sights set on taking the show to London (hopefully with a little less opening-night drama!).
Image Credits: Dena Smith Ellis, Isabel Ryan, and Lucien Duvoisin .