In the sumptuous surroundings of St. Michael & All Angels Church, we enjoyed an evening of music quite removed from the repertoire normally associated with gay men’s choirs.

The first part consisted of Geoff Robb playing haunting classical guitar, joined for a few Eva Cassidy songs by Aki whose restrained, ethereal voice suited the music and venue perfectly.

In the second part, the City of Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus joined The David Ingledew Band, under the musical direction of Ignacio Jarquin, for a performance of David Ingledew’s “The Cuckoo Sings”. With Laura Windle as guest soprano, the voices combined to produce a sound with echoes of Stereolab, while the subtle piano and strings arrangements reminded me of the Penguin Café Orchestra or Michael Nyman. The band consisted of David Ingledew himself on piano, Simon Walker, violin, Rachael Firmager, cello and there was even Herbie Flowers on bass. Yes, really. That Herbie Flowers. Although I couldn’t quite catch all the lyrics in the rich acoustic of the church, the programme described the piece as being about “how we come to understand our own unique place in the world”, which I’m sure rings true for many people in Brighton. An unexpectedly different evening, defying stereotypes and embracing collaboration to produce some beautiful music.