Friday evening, April 15, I at last managed to catch the film Eddie the Eagle. It had been on my list for a while. I was not disappointed. Apart from being based on a true story, the acting by Taron Egerton was superb as Eddie, we lived his courage and willed him to succeed when he attempted the amazing ski-jumps.
There was an additional draw that evening. After the film there was a question and answer opportunity with lovely Mark Benton, a local actor of many talents who did a long stint in Waterloo Road on ITV, attempted to win Strictly Come Dancing last year and has appeared in various films apart from this one.
He told us that when he initially was asked by the Director, Dexter Fletcher, to be part of the film and saw the script he felt his role as presented didn’t have much ‘meat’. The Director was very keen for Mark to be part of the story and fleshed out the role so he would agree. Apparently it was a 12 week shoot in Bavaria, tight schedule I would think, and the real Eddie was on set for some of the time which I assume helped to make the film’s story more authentic.
Visually the scenery looked stunning, the skiing from the heights amazing and dangerous. One came out of the movie with a warm feeling that Eddie deserved his success and adulation from the people who had laughed at, and had no faith in him; very enjoyable in the comfortable environment of the Kino.
Saturday 16 April, a totally different environment but just as pleasurable, in St Thomas the Martyr Church. Winchelsea Singers, a choir including voices from Rye and villages around, presented a spring concert of Creation by Haydn. The soloists Grace Constable (soprano), Ann Whiteman (alto), Gary Marriott (tenor) and Michael White (bass) were wonderful, Constable’s voice filling the church with her clear and powerful tone. Duncan Reid, Music Director, made sure of a beautiful sound when the soloists, the choir, Nuri Koseoglu (violin) and Ivora Rees (piano) joined as one.
Haydn’s Creation is not an easy piece to perform but has been popular in various European cultures and as the conductor suggests: “To this day, with its exuberant choruses, glorious, melodic lines and imaginative word-painting, it remains one of the most well-loved choral works throughout the world.”
Heidi Foster