Only Grimethorpe could get away with a concert like this: Just ask the 800 plus punters who made their way to The Lowry at £25 a ticket. 

Persuading people to part with their hard-earned cash two weeks before Christmas for non-essential festive treats is a difficult ask at the best of times, but Grimey managed it in spades with the cleverly marketed lure of the Opera Babes - otherwise known as the talented duo of Rebecca Knight and Karen England.

Relax

The music may have been familiar and lightweight, but it was still the perfect way to relax and not think about what still had to be bought and paid for before December 25th (including the band’s latest CD). 

It was helped enormously by MD, Brian Grant cleverly engaging with the audience from the word go - although it was the polished stage presentation, featuring a large multi-media screen, coloured lighting and dry ice that caught the imagination as much as the quality playing and singing. It was classy stuff - effective, relevant and perfectly synchronised.

Does best

The evening started with a reminder of what the band does best; a free flowing 'Florentiner March', the perfectly paced aperitif for a suitably dashing 'Le Corsair' overture.

There was a great deal of anticipation as to how the Opera Babes would complement the evening - but they did so with performances that left you in no doubt of their high class musicianship. Rossini’s 'Duetto Buffo di due Gatti' - otherwise known as the 'Duet for Two Cats' was tremendous feline fun.

Hard edged nostalgia

Grimethorpe’s ‘Brassed Off!’ segment had a touch of hard edged nostalgia about it following the news that the last deep-mine pit in the UK was soon to close.  

'Death or Glory', 'March of the Cobblers', the ‘Galop’ from 'William Tell' (featuring Roger Webster on sparkling form) were delivered with panache, whilst Laura Hirst gave a top notch account of 'Concerto D'Aranjeuz'. The march from 'The Pines of Rome', left the audience in the perfect state to dip their hands into their pockets for that Christmas CD present - courtesy of the band’s latest release 

Seasonal fayre

The second half was seasonal fayre and frivolity. 'A Christmas Festival Overture' paved the way for Michael Dodd’s angelic 'O Holy Night' before the audience joined in merrily with Derek Ashmore's souped-up version of 'Jingle Bells'.

The returning soprano and mezzo-soprano duo thrilled with Verdi's 'Brindisi' and Delibes' 'Flower Duet' (aided by excellent accompaniment arranged by Dan Price, played at a refined dynamic level) before a neat bit of audience participation with 'O Come All Ye Faithful'.

Standing ovation

With a lively 'Radetzky March' done and dusted, the Opera Babes returned to perform Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy', which not surprisingly led to a standing ovation.

The slick encores of 'Midnight Sleighride' and a reprise of 'Jingle Bells' ensured everyone left for home full of festive spirit, despite being a few quid lighter in the wallet. 

Malcolm Wood