Boyce and Stanley Age to Age Tour

Jo Boyce and Mike Stanley played to a packed St. Andrew’s Church on Sunday, September 30, for the Middlesbrough leg of their Age to Age national tour to promote their newly released album. The tour and album marks the tenth anniversary of the partnership of the singing and song writing duo from the Birmingham Diocese.

250+ people from all over the Middlesbrough diocese were entertained for two and a half hours as the duo sang a selection of uplifting new arrangements of many of the well-loved, classic Catholic hymns that are etched onto the lips of churchgoers of all ages. And they have certainly succeeded in adding their own unique style and sound to make them their own.

The atmosphere in the church very quickly became electric as hymns such as Soul of my Saviour, How Great Thou Art, Make Me a Channel of your Peace, Yahweh, You Shall Cross the Barren Desert and many many more were given the Boyce and Stanley treatment. The audience were encouraged right from the beginning to join in with the singing and they were aided by a PowerPoint projecting the words onto a giant screen.

My highlight of the evening had to be when they sang their own composition, Bread of Life Truth Eternal, and the re-working of Sweet Heart of Jesus coming a very close second with a cheerful and joyful Caribbean sound.

At the end of the concert they were given a magnificent standing ovation as they left the Sanctuary.

If we are very lucky it won’t be too long before they return to Middlesbrough and if you missed them this time around I would recommend that you make the effort next time. It was worth every penny.

Marks out of ten: 15
For more pictures log on to the St Andrew’s parish website at:
www.standrewsteesville.org.uk