St Mary’s Church was packed with not a spare seat in the house on Friday evening, 28 August, as the Van Morrison Alumni Band brought one of the great songbooks of modern music to Rye.
The sold-out concert was one of the headline events of this year’s Rye International Jazz & Blues Festival, and from the reaction inside the church, it was clear that plenty of devoted Van Morrison fans had come to hear music that has provided the soundtrack to their lives.
But this was much more than a conventional tribute act. The Van Morrison Alumni Band is made up of musicians and singers who have actually toured and recorded with Van Morrison over many years. Collectively, members of the Alumni have played thousands of concerts with him and amassed hundreds of recording credits.
At the helm was saxophonist, broadcaster and musical director Leo Green, himself a veteran of several hundred performances with Morrison and credited on 63 recordings across seven albums. The musicians perform the songs faithfully, often recreating arrangements on which members of the band themselves originally played.
And what a setting for them. Beneath the soaring arches of St Mary’s, the combination of wonderful musicianship, atmospheric lighting and some of Van Morrison’s best-loved music created a very special evening.
The audience certainly needed little encouragement. There was an unmistakable warmth between performers and listeners as familiar songs brought smiles, applause and that lovely recognition that comes when the opening bars of an old favourite begin.
Van Morrison himself has given Leo Green’s project a rather wonderful endorsement: “These songs are meant to be sung and heard and I’m really happy Leo is carrying the torch.”
On Friday night in Rye, that torch was burning brightly.
Image Credits: Kt bruce .