Church choir

Dawn Chorus is a concert which mixes sacred and secular choir music. Conducted by Nancy Litten and accompanied by Graham Royston it will be held at St. Mary’s Church in Sutton Valence near Maidstone on Saturday, June 8, at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £10 in aid of church funds. Call 01622 842681. With some original Motown artists no longer with us and others not performing themselves these days, an upcoming show promises the very next best thing. The new Magic of Motown show, Reach Out 2014, features lookalike and sound-alike artists who revive the Temptations, Four Tops, Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Isley Brothers and the Supremes at their peak. The tour, which stops at Dartford’s Orchard Theatre on Thursday, June 10, comes to the UK direct from the USA, with American star of the show and genre expert, Andre Lejaune, at the helm of the all-important choreography. “Andre choreographed the cast to perform the intricate dance moves for which Motown stars were famous. Equal care is taken to reproduce the original look of the Motown stars on stage,” says show producer Michael Taylor. He’s referring to the Detroit-based record company, the brainchild of Berry Gordy Jr, which was at its heyday in the 1960s and 70s but remained active under Berry until 1988. “It was not just the music that set Berry’s signings apart from all other hit singers of the time. Artists’ images were carefully controlled from dress and choreography, right down to their manners. “Sadly, many of the original Motown legends are either no longer with us or no longer touring. The Magic of Motown is the nearest you’ll get to authentically capturing their musical legacy in a live show.

Andre Lejaune

“Our young cast is able to reflect the exuberance and excitement of these songs as they were originally performed.” Star turn and choreographer Andre, who delivers songs from Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Lionel Richie among others, believes his American gift of the gab is a strength. “It goes back to what we’re taught in stage school – the importance of establishing a rapport with the audience is lesson number one. You’re forever gauging their reaction,” he says. “The guys on the show have been together for some time now but we still rehearse once a week, making sure our moves are on point and harmonies spot-on.”

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