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Great Torrington Cavaliers Entertainers

The Entertainers have disbanded.

 

THE GREAT TORRINGTON CAVALIERS WERE FORMED IN 1970 AND QUICKLY BECAME KNOWN FOR BUILDING HUGE THEMED BONFIRES, RAISING THOUSANDS OF POUNDS FOR LOCAL AND NATIONAL CHARITIES. IN 1995 ALL THE CAVALIERS, ABOUT 40 OF THEM, CAME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE THE ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY. A PROGRAMME OF 40s SONGS WAS PUT TOGETHER AND, IN BATTLEDRESS, THEY PERFORMED IN TORRINGTON TOWN SQUARE ON MAYFAIR DAY TO HUGE ACCLAIM. THIS EVENT WAS FOLLOWED BY SEVERAL CHARITY CONCERTS. AFTER A WHILE THE NUMBERS DWINDLED BUT OUT OF THE ORIGINAL IDEA THE ENTERTAINERS EVOLVED. 16 SINGERS AND A KEYBOARD PLAYER HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS PERFORMING THEMED CONCERTS ALL AROUND THE AREA, AGAIN RAISING SEVERAL THOUSAND POUNDS FOR CHARITY. 14 OF THE PRESENT TEAM, LED BY BOB FISHER, A FOUNDER MEMBER OF THE CAVALIERS, ARE HUSBANDS AND WIVES SO A V STRONG SOCIAL ASPECT IS VERY MUCH PART OF THE ACTIVITY. THE GROUP COULD BE CALLED MATURE - THE AGGREGATE AGE IS WELL OVER 1,000 YEARS - BUT ALL ARE CERTAINLY YOUNG AT HEART. FOR MAYFAIR THURSDAY THIS YEAR, 2ND MAY 2002, THE ENTERTAINERS PUT TOGETHER A PROGRAMME OF WESTERN SONGS, THE MEN DRESSED AS COWBOYS AND THE LADIES AS SALOON GIRLS. DRESS REHEARSAL WAS HILARIOUS! AFTER TAKING PART IN THE CARNIVAL ON SATURDAY THE 4TH MAY (A WESTERN SALOON CREATED ON A FARM TRAILER) THE ENTERTAINERS RETURNED TO REHEARSALS AS THEY WERE PROMOTING A CONCERT, AT THE PLOUGH ARTS CENTRE, ON SATURDAY 11TH MAY. THEY HAD PERSUADED THE PLOUGHCAPELLA SINGERS, A GROUP OF 30 OR SO LOCAL VOCALISTS, PERFORMING RICH HARMONIES AND POWERFUL RHYTHMS, LED BY ALISON JONES WHO, IN ADDITION WAS ACCOMPANIED BY PAUL WHITTALL AS A SEPARATE ACT AND 15 YEAR OLD RISING STAR ASHLEY WITHEY ON DIGITAL ORGAN AND KEYBOARDS. THE AIM OF THE SHOW, CALLED ‘PLOUGH -AID CONCERT, WAS TO DEMONSTRATE LOCAL SUPPORT FOR THE PLOUGH ARTS CENTRE. THE CENTRE BECAME INDEPENDENT ON THE 1ST APRIL. THIS FOLLOWED THE DECISION OF BEAFORD CENTRE TO CHANGE FROM A STATIC BASED COMPANY TO A MOBILE OPERATION. THE PLOUGH WAS LEFT WITH A CORE FUNDING PROBLEM WHICH HAD TO BE ADDRESSED SO OPENING TIMES WERE RADICALLY REDUCED. HOWEVER, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE DIRECTOR, RICHARD WOLFENDEN- BROWN, THE PLOUGH HAS, WITHIN A TIGHT FINANCIAL BUDGET, MAINTAINED A STRONG COMMUNITY BASED PROGRAMME. THE CAVALIER ENTERTAINERS AND THE OTHER ACTS PERFORMED FOR MINIMAL EXPENSES ONLY SO IT WAS HOPED THAT THE CONCERT WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE PLOUGH COFFERS. ON THE 18TH MAY THE SINGERS PERFORMED AT THE COMMEMORATION OF A MEMORIAL TO THE CHILDREN LOST IN THE SYDNEY HOUSE FIRE IN FEBRUARY 1942. THE HOUSE WAS AT THE TIME BEING USED AS A HOME FOR SICKLY CHILDREN AND THE FIRE, WHICH ENGULFED THE PROPERTY KILLED 5 OF THE PATIENTS. BACK IN JANUARY 2002 THE ENTERTAINERS HAD PERFORMED, IN THE LOCAL PANNIER MARKET, A PROGRAMME OF 40s SONGS PRIOR TO A CHARITY AUCTION TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE MEMORIAL. THEY GAVE A REPEAT PERFORMANCE OF THAT CONCERT ON THE 18TH. ALONG THE WAY, IN APRIL, THE SINGERS PROMOTED A BINGO EVENING WHICH RAISED OVER £500 AND AGAIN THIS MONEY WILL FIND ITS WAY TO LOCAL CHARITIES. EACH YEAR THE GROUP DONATES A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT TO THE MAIN ACCOUNT. ALTHOUGH, SADLY, SOME OF THE ORIGINAL CAVALIERS HAVE PASSED ON, INCLUDING THE CHARISMATIC FOUNDER LARRY (LARDO) ALEXANDER, THE ORGANISATION CONTINUES WITH YOUNGER BLOOD - SOME RELATED TO THE FOUNDERS - CARRYING ON THE GOOD WORK. THE ENTERTAINERS WILL CONTINUE, FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, TO SUPPORT AND BE PART OF THE MAIN BODY OF CAVALIERS AND LONG MAY THEY CONTINUE.