I’m a huge fan of the Beatles music and to hear their songs performed in the great acoustics of the City Recital Hall by a 10 piece band, with a ten piece orchestra, two soloists and the great harmonies of the Sydney Philharmonia Chamber Singers, THE BEATLES UNPLUGGED was sheer bliss.
Some eighteen great Beatles songs were performed, nine in each half. Amongst the highlight were upbeat versions of HELLO GOODBYE and PENNY LANE, a stirring version of HEY JUDE, and poignant versions of BLACKBIRD, YESTERDAY, NORWEGIAN WOOD, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, and SHE’S LEAVING HOME.
What was an added delight about this show was the theatricality that was incorporated throughout the show. A small multi-media screen above the stage presented psychedelic images.
There were some great ideas; the opening song paperback writers with the Singers being portrayed as Paperback writers, clicking away at their typewriter keys… the intro to BACK IN THE USSR with Russian men in overcoats and fur coats chatting in Russian and then taking off their coats to reveal psychedelic mod gear and swinging into the song, and then the rest of the choir coming out multi-coloured period costume…a great upbeat version of HELLO GOODBYE with performers from the choir waving hello and goodbye to each other and to the audience, which also turned out to be a great encore.
A GREAT TREAT, Sydney Philharmonia Limited’s production of THE BEATLES UNPLUGGED, the songs of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, with fresh arrangements by Sally Whitwell and Daniel Walker, and featuring soloists Rob Mills and Bobby Fox, accompanied by the wonderful Sydney Philharmonia Chamber Singers and Band, played the City Recital Hall, Angel Place, on Friday 24th August and Saturday 25th August, 2012.
Tags: Sydney Music Reviews-THE BEATLES UNPLUGGED, City Recital Hall Angel Place, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Sally Whitwell, Daniel Walker, Rob Mills, Bobby Fox, Cynthia Sciberras, Sydney Arts Guide.
