On Wednesday May 25th 2011, the TCF hall at Torrevieja was packed with people who had come along to hear Chas’ last concert as MD of Crescendo.
Mary Priddle introduced the evening and started by telling how Crescendo came about; in June 2004, she and a few friends discussed starting a mixed voice choir in the Torrevieja area. Chas Smith had not long been MD for the Barbershop Harmonisers so he was approached to be MD. Sue Trick had recently moved to Spain and was asked if she would take on the role of accompanist. Names were suggested for the choir and the overall favourite was CRESCENDO.
At the first meeting on September 15th 2004, 34 people turned up, a committee was formed with Mary as chairman and a new choir was born!
The farewell concert consisted of all Chas’ favourite pieces as well as a couple of surprise items. Choir member Vivienne Gee had written a new song which Chas had set to music, this was a tribute to our heroes called “Remember Them”, and David Huglin who sings bass with the choir had set words to “Air on a G string” entitling it “Breezy Bach Weather”
Jean Townson, the 83yr old ‘Queen Mum’ of the choir in this her last concert sang “Bill” from Showboat, receiving a standing ovation
Lawrence Gee sang a lovely version of ‘Ave Maria’, then joined Carol Durman in “Bess, you is my woman now” from Porgy and Bess. Carol then sang another favourite from this show…’Summertime’ filling the huge hall with her beautiful soprano voice, and ‘Cant help lovin’ that man o’ mine’ from Showboat.
No concert of the choirs’ is complete without Sue Trick’s solo…this time a very lovely Chopin nocturne; as always, beautifully played.
Two people came along specially to make presentations to Chas. The first was Wendy Dengate of the Royal British Legion to thank him for all the hard work that he put into the RBL 90th anniversary concert in April.  She gave him an enlargement of the photo of Chas with the “All Angels” taken by Margot the choir’s PR and signed by the four girls.
Then it was the turn of Graham Knight who said how Chas had built a small group of singers into the most prestigious mixed choir on the Costa Blanca. He presented Chas with one of the unique salt ships as a thank you from the people of the area, reminding everyone that all the work Chas had done with the choir over the years was voluntary!
Chas then introduced the new MD, Sixto Manuel Herrero who took up the baton and conducted the choir in a secretly rehearsed version of “My Way” with words suitable to the occasion written by Vivienne Gee.
There were tears in a lot of eyes as the choir sang their traditional “Blessing of Aaron”
Then Chas went to the door ready to shake hands with everyone on their way out.
Altogether a very emotional evening which will be long remembered by all of Chas Smith’s hundreds of friends.
Written by Margot Gay