EVENT UPDATE : LESLIE BRICUSSE MEMORIAL SERVICE.. OCTOBER 20TH 2022 ..

THANKSGIVING SERVICE

Leslie Bricusse

The songwriter Leslie Bricusse

GAB ARCHIVE/REDFERNS/GETTY IMAGES

A celebration of the life and work of Mr Leslie Bricusse, lyricist, songwriter and composer, was held on Thursday October 20, 2022, at St James’s Church, Piccadilly.

The Rev Lindsay Meader, lead theatre chaplain for the Diocese of London, officiated, led the prayers and pronounced the blessing.

Mr Adam Bricusse, son, Mr Luca Bricusse and Mr Roman Bricusse, grandsons, read Psalm 23.

Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber read an extract on songwriting from Leslie Bricusse’s book Pure Imagination: A Sorta-biography. Miss Stefanie Powers read When I Look In Your Eyes from Dr Dolittle by Leslie Bricusse.

Sir Michael Caine, Dame Joan Collins and Mr Stephen Fry paid tribute and Sir Elton John CH and Dame Julie Andrews paid tribute by video link.

Joan with Leslie & Evie 

During the service Mr Giles Terera, baritone, sang Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) and Miss Louise Dearman, mezzo soprano, accompanied by Capital Voices, sang Fill the World with Love from Goodbye, Mr Chips (1969). Miss Dearman also performed Feeling Good from The Roar of the Greasepaint — the Smell of the Crowd (1964), all accompanied by the St Paul’s Quartet and directed by Mr Mike Dixon, musical director.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Mr Léon Charles played the organ and Mr John G Smith played the piano.                                                                                                                                                                              Among those present were: Mrs Evie Bricusse (widow), Ms Anna Sliwinska with other members of the family.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Also present were: Lady Lloyd Webber, Lord and Lady Archer of Weston-super-Mare, Lady Caine, Dame Twiggy Lawson and Mr Leigh Lawson, Sir Nicholas Lloyd, Dame Joanna Lumley, Sir Trevor Nunn, Sir Tim Rice, Sir Tommy Steele, Sir Rod and Lady Stewart.

Mr Nicholas Allott, Mr and Mrs Anthony Andrews, Mr and Mrs Deke Arlon, Mrs Wendy Asher, Mr Louis Bacon, Mr and Mrs John Barrett, Mr and Mrs Bob Benton, Mr Chris Berry, Mr Mark Berry, Mr Sten Bertelsen and Ms Susannah Constantine, Mr Christopher Biggins and Mr Neil Sinclair, Mr Don Black, Mr Tony Bloom, Mr Roger Boyland, Mrs Kay Brandeaux Boyland, Miss Frances Boyland, Mr and Mrs Gyles Brandreth, Mr Gareth Brown, Mrs Ginette Brown, Dr Harry Brunjes (chairman, ENO), Mr Lewis Carnie, Mr and Mrs Maxwell Caulfield, Mr and Mrs Trevor Chenery, Mr Anthony Cherry, Miss Petula Clark, Mr and Mrs Bill Collins, Dr John Cowan, Mr and Mrs Robert Dallas, Mr and Mrs Peter de Savary, Mr and Mrs Charles Delevingne, Ms Karen Diprose, Mr Michael England, Mr and Mrs Theo Fennell, Ms Emerald Fennell, Ms Coco Fennell, Mr Jeff Weiner and Mrs Cathy Ferraro-Weiner, Mr Gregg Field and Ms Monica Mancini, Mrs Nanette Forbes, Mr Steve Furst, Ms Dinah Garrett (director, Experience Really Counts), Mr Percy Gibson, Ms Anastasia Grafftey-Smith, Ms Gabriella Grafftey-Smith, Mr and Mrs Bruce Grakal, Mr Michael Grech, Mr Nicky Haslam, Mr and Mrs Nigel Havers, Mrs Robyn Hemingway, Mr Nolan Hemmings, Mr and Mrs Renshaw Hiscox, Mr and Mrs Michael Howe, Ms Melinda Hughes, Mr Barry Humphries and Ms Lizzie Spender, Mr Chris Ishermann, Mrs Sally James, Mr Ralph Kamp, Ms Katyana Kass, Mr Richard King, Mrs Joan Kingsley, Mr Peter Land, Mr Adrian Leggett, Mrs Lizzy Lloyd, Mr Richard Lyon and Dr Anne Lyon, Ms Ginger Mason, Mr and Mrs Melvyn Master, Mr and Mrs William Miller, Mr and Mrs Harland Miller, Mr Denis Mirlesse, Ms Myriam Molitor, Mr and Mrs Christian Moore, Ms Deborah Moore, Mr and Mrs Geoffrey Moore, Mr Akio Morishima, Mr and Mrs Sam Morris, Ms Patt Morrison, Mrs Chrissie Most, Mr Richard Muddiman, Mr and Mrs Stephen Murphy, Mr Alexander Newley, Ms Tara Newley Arkle, Mr Nick Arkle, Ms Manuela Noble, Ms Lisa Norman, Mr Michael Nouri, Mr John Owen-Jones, Ms Nikki Page, Ms Elaine Paige,

 Mr and Mrs Tino Paissoni, Ms Jackie Palmer, Mr Clarke Peters and Mrs Penny Ephson-Clarke, Ms Eve Pollard, Ms Merrill Powell, Mr and Mrs Robert Powell, Ms Alison Price, Mr Mike Reed, Mr John Reid and Dr James Thompson, Mr and Mrs Simon Reuben, Ms Liz Robertson, Mrs Daniele Roux, Mr and Mrs Emmanuel Roux, Ms Lesley Rutherford, Mr and Mrs Gordon Samuel, Mrs Tricia Shepherd, Mr Raja Sidawi, Miss Annie Skates (choir mistress, Capital Voices), Mr Mike Smith, Mr and Mrs John Standing, Ms Paulene Stone, Mr and Mrs Simon Tattersall, Mrs Kathy Temperton, Ms Annegret Tree, Ms Jade Vincent and Mr Keefus Ciancia, Mr Andrew Vinter, Mr and Mrs Stephen Way, Mrs Geraldine Winner, Mr Ian Wood, Ms Sarah Woodhead, Mr Hugh Wooldridge, Mr and Mrs Bill Wyman with many more friends and former colleagues.