Foley Sisters

July 2^nd 2005

Little did Mum & Dad Foley know what the future would hold having bought Sarah a keyboard for Christmas 1994! The Jackamans and myself first heard Sarah (16) and Adele (14) at the Lyme Bay Festival in February 2004 and booked them on the spot. They play the Yamaha EL500 plus the PSR 8000, with Lydia, now 7, having only just managed to reach the organ pedals.

Sarah opened on the organ with some Latin numbers: 'Mambo Jambo' - 'Tico Tico' & Quando Quando' before pleasing jazzl overs with 'Moaning'. 'Childhood Memories' & 'Once Upon A Time In America' followed, both played as ballads, quite beautiful. Disney hits followed, 'Whistle Whilst You Work' - 'Zibbedi Doo Dah' & Supercallifragilisticexpialidocious ' and then Ronald Keating's 2001 Chart topper 'If Tomorrow Never Comes'.

Well done young Lydia with 'Scarborough Fair' on the organ and 'Something Stupid' on the PSR 8000. Sarah followed this with 'Wind Beneath My Wings' having 'converted' the 8000 to a piano. She and Adele then did a keyboard duet with 'Fly Me To The Moon' in rumba style followed by the 'Be Our Guest' Polka.

Adele continued with a solo spot on the EL500 with 'Unchained Melody' and the Bee-Gee's hit: 'Nightfever'. Next Sarah paid a nice tribute to the War Heroes with a rousing rendition of the 'Dambusters March', before continuing with 'Suffolk Morris'?

Richard Bower, who is teaching the girls, had driven all the way from Southampton to be with us, was then enticed onto stage, fitted with a large red bow tie to match the girls tops to accompany them on the 8000 whilst Adele & Sarah played the flute and Alto Sax respectively with 'And So It Goes', will it did! - considering Sarah had muddled up the pages on Richard's score.

To conclude the first half all three girls delighted us with a short version of the 'Riverdance'. It was Dad John's Birthday with Sarah and the audience playing and singing Happy Birthday to him. This Sarah followed with a Rock 'n' Roll Medley, i.e. 'Great Balls Of Fire' - 'The Hop' - 'Jailhouse Rock' & 'Rock Around The Clock'.

Next 'Could It Be Magic' originally sung by Barry Manilow before continuing with 'Sway' - 'Besame Mucho' & 'Perfidia'. As a complete contrast we had some music by Tschaikovsky, which included the 'Sugar Plum Fairy'. Another duet by Adele & Sarah on the 8000's with 'She's Not There'.

Adele is convinced that the next tune was specially written for her, namely 'Isn't She Lovely?' Sarah next delighted us with the ever popular 'The Circle Of Life' from the Lion King. Sarah decided it was time for some audience participation with a selection of Singalongs: 'Roll Out The Barrel' - 'The More We Are Together' - 'Any Old Iron' - 'My Old Man' - 'Where Did You Get That Hat?' - 'Pack Up Your Troubles' - 'It's A Long Way To Tipperary' concluding with 'Bill Bailey', allowing young Lydia (a real character) to show off her talents for the last time on the 8000 with 'Rivers of Babylon'.

The 'Spanish Flea' followed with Sarah back on the EL500, the '633 Squadron' and from Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats 'Memory'. She delighted us with two more - very lively - tunes, the theme from 'Mission Impossible' and a superb rendition of the 'Lord Of The Dance'.

Sporting a glittering red, blue and white hat, Sarah's encore was 'There'll Always Be An England' and 'Land Of Hope & Glory'. Her sisters re-appeared on stage wearing identical hats pretending to wave Union Jacks.

The girls had delighted us with a varied program superbly played and well presented. They have already improved under Richard's guidance, and will no doubt continue to do so.

Why not come along to a Basildon Keyboard Club Concert, you will be made very welcome, have a great evenings entertainment, a complimentary cup of tea or coffee with biscuits and of course experience the delights of live music played on top of the range electronic organs & keyboards by the best players.