EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND — I could not leave the Fringe Festival without one more choir experience. Set in the beautiful St Mark’s Chapel, at the foot of the Edinburgh Castle, this show choir from Liverpool, Over the Water, performed at Eurovision in 2023 and this year in Sweden. They were made famous by the BBC show Pitch Battle in 2017. They have now brought their show, Eurovision Binge at the Fringe, for those of us attending to enjoy. They are directed by siblings Amy Chalmers and Matt Lammin. It was Chalmers directing the night I attended, and both her energy and her great outfit were inspiring.
Yes, my high school show choir heart was dancing along with them and their sparkly costumes, especially the tiaras and steampunk hats.Yes, I am a sucker for sparkly things, but it is clear that this choir knows how to make eye catching visuals with their costume choices.
From fun pop ballads to dedication songs from Ukraine, this concert was simply joyous. There were several soloists, and even the conductor at one point pulled out a violin to augment the beautiful sound.
Choosing songs from Ireland, Norway, and more, I felt like I was on a musical tour around the world. They even sang a song that had Opera, Pop, and Rap all in the same song. The performance was only one hour but I could have stayed there listening to them all night. Choosing to end their set with a song called Euphoria was perfection. They got the first standing ovation I witnessed at the Fringe.
In Liverpool Over the Water in addition to their professional show choir has now started youth choirs and a community choir. They have been working with their success to better the lives of all around them. They have been popular enough that you can search them on Youtube and experience some of the joy that I did at the St. Mark’s Chapel.
