MONA showcase for the Southern Gospel Choir
Four thousand people took advantage of a perfect Sunday afternoon in Hobart on November 25 to soak up some sun, soul and gospel at MONA.
They were, in the words of Ray Davies’ 1966 classic, performed on this occasion by Dean Stevenson:
Lazing on a sunny afternoon,
In the summertime, in the summertime,
In the summertime …
Stevenson, the Violent Femmes bassist-cum-MONA FOMA Curator Brian Ritchie (in a cream suit, with purple hat and shoes), former Badloves frontman Michael Spiby and Maria Lurighi joined the Conservatorium of Music’s Southern Gospel Choir and the Very Righteous Gospel Band for a concert called Standing in the Shadows of MONA.For nearly three hours the hits kept coming: music by the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Martha and the Vandellas, Joe Cocker and the Beatles, plus the Badloves’ Green Limousine and some original numbers by SGC founder Dr Andrew Legg and Spiby.
The concert came just a week after the SGC launched Brighter Day, the DVD recording of another memorable concert, in July 2011, which was streamed from Hobart Town Hall to a total audience of more than 10,000 in 32 countries.
A Brighter Day has arrived – Hallelujah!
Photographs by Conservatorium of Music staff.
Captions
Image 1: The Doctor is in the house
Image 2: Dean Stevenson warms up the crowd
Image 3: Former Badloves frontman Michael Spiby
Image 4: Giving it up- part of the 4,000 strong crowd at MONA on Sunday afternoon
Image 5: Maria Lurighi came close to stealing the show with her rendition of It's a Man's Man's Man's World
Image 6: Violent Femmes' Brian Ritchie
Image 7: Support act Dean Stevenson (right), a tutor in rock studies at the Con, with guitarist Dave Wilson
Image 8: The merchandising tent was kept busy during the afternoon, with SCG CDs and DVDs being snapped up
Image 9: The SGC, with Maria Lurighi fourth from left, belts it out
Image 10: The Southern Gospel Choir in full voice