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Archive for December, 2011

John Miles had already sung Music and Il Novecento had just played the Cavalleria Rusticana; and we had only just begun the 5th song of the evening! And then that classy gentleman came up, in a suit without tie and half-haved. The song text is like a poem: a complete surrender to the big love, even when it leads to self-destruction! Can you hear Fine Fleur gently joining in at 0:50? Without motions, relaxed, only Roch Voisine’s typical voice; the simplicity underlines the grandeur of this song. The audience listens intently and enjoys. You as well? A deserved grand applause by the audience, accompanied by Robert Groslot.

Another nice example of how we got the wrong end of the stick. Markus Othmer announces a vibraphone solo by Patrick Desmet. However, after a few second he stops. At the December tour of NOTP there is a Christmas market in every German city and Patrick bought a Christmas hat; the Germans love his Jingle Bells! But the change at 1:10 to The Look Of Love is sublime; you clap your hands spontaneously! We’re nearly at 2:00 when golden Martin Fry starts singing: Love makes a grey sky blue; that’s how his first paragraph ends. This ABC song was a number 1 in 1982. Now you can hear again why.

Charlie Siem’s grandmother had recently deceased, and he played her favourite song: Estrellita by the Mexican composer Manuel Ponce. She was one of the stars on the starry sky, the background. It is difficult to fascinate more than 10 000 people with an intimate nostalgic song, but Charlie and his violin succeed marvellously. Dream away…

In Antwerp, Barry Hay was the surprise guest, but in the Netherlands the singer of Golden Earring was on the playbill. At first Il Novecento creates a kind of tension with James Bond Music; who’s up next? At 0:20 the specialists already guess who’ll come up, but thanks to (0:50) Patrick Desmet’s drum rhythm and Rogier van Wegberg’s bass line does the audience know that a gigantic rock song will be up. Barry comes up (1:15), takes the micro, pulls it at a slant, and sings: “I’ve been drivin’ all night, my hand’s wet on the wheel”. Everyone knows the drum and bass line, but as well for guitar artists like Leendert Haaksma is this a party. The entire orchestra, the Electric Band, the backing vocals and Barry Hay clearly enjoy Radar Love. And off course, the audience too!