Less than 24 hours before Solent City were due to perform in Southsea, a huge unexploded bomb was unearthed during work on the area’s sea defences. With parts of the town cordoned off and some premises evacuated, the gig looked set to be a damp squib. But a bomb-disposal team managed to remove the danger, and thankfully the only “fireworks” in town that evening came from the chorus’s performance at the Tudor Rose Court retirement home.



The first half of the show saw Solent do a historical “Cook’s musical tour”, starting with songs from the mid-19 th century, gradually progressing through the 20 th century, finishing with two numbers from “The Greatest Showman” composed only a few years ago. The second half of the evening saw the chorus switch into full-on festive mode, with a selection of Christmas songs and carols. Helped by an enthusiastic audience sing-along in the carols, it made for a fun evening and a wonderful way to get the Christmas season underway.






More photos from the evening can be seen here : Photos from Tudor Rose Court event