Aled''s best for his Spring tour 2007

After 3 similar tours – well, really one tour that extended itself to three parts with little change! – we were promised something different for the Spring tour 2007; it was called The Best of Aled Jones and  was based on the CD issued in November 2006, with the addition, so we were told, of a couple of preview tracks of the new album, due out in the autumn of this year.  

I personally went to three of the concerts – Worthing, Croydon and Lowestoft – all the same and yet all individually different.   The Worthing concert was held in the Pavilion Theatre at the end of the pier, an old theatre, I imagine which had been refurbished with red seats and red all around the walls – Aled commented afterwards that that was the sort of way he remembered theatres! – to him Worthing meant “Red” and “Velvet”!   The Croydon concert was at the Fairfield Halls, and the Lowestoft concert was at the Marina Theatre, a converted skating rink built originally in 1901 and which had been done out in a rather too vivid green, walls, ceiling, seats….!

Aled has been accompanied on tours previously by Dom on the piano plus four “Angels” on strings, and a harpist.  For this tour, we again had four Angels, violin 1 varying between Hazel Ross and Nina Foster, Violin 2 was Jo Allen, Viola was Lucy Morgan, and cello Llinos Richards.  The proverbial Dom Kelly was again on piano, and instead of a harpist we had Pete Harris on guitar (although it turned out that Pete was not there for later concerts as he was in USA with Patrizio Buanne, and an alternative guitarist took his place.)

On the previous tours Aled had had backdrops of alternate black and white stripes on which colour patterns played during the songs.   This tour was the same, with the stage set with the black and white drapes, and red lights on the stage.  The piano was ready for Dom on the right, the four Angels were to sit on a raised stage in the middle as usual, and to the left was a seat for Pete, complete with guitar resting against it.

The accompanying choir for Worthing was the Worthing Philharmonic, who filed quietly and efficiently on stage to start us off.   Everyone was in black, the men with black bow-ties on white shirts, and the women with long blue patterned scarves round their necks and all holding matching blue songbooks. - see http://www.worthingphilharmonicchoir.org.uk/ - lower picture of the choir with the blue scarves.  The men were in the middle, the women on either side.  In contrast, the conductor had on a white jacket, which Aled later commented on! 

We started, appropriately enough, with the Worthing Philharmonic and  ‘It’s a grand night for singing’, which was followed by the Howard Goodall’s, “Vicar of Dibley” version of ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’ – it was very difficult not to join in! This was followed by a couple of pieces from Mendelssohn’s “Elijah” (in the programme was a leaflet about a performance of “Elijah” that the choir were performing on April 6th in Worthing) - ‘Be not afraid’ and ‘He, watching over Israel’.  Then the lovely Mozart’s ‘Ave Verum Corpus’, and finally a tune I know so well, but can’t name (!) to which words had been added.   And then the choir filed off to ‘It’s a grand night’ again, revealing Pete already sitting on his chair waiting!  On came the Angels, and then on came Dom.

At Croydon the accompanying choir was Libera – a special treat, of course.  Libera were in their traditional long white robes, with the changing lighting behind playing patterns on the robes.  They started with ‘Glory to thee my God this night’ and the soloist for the first verse was Edward Day, with the other choir members, totalling 17, moving in behind during the solo.   This was followed by ‘Salve Me’ (soloists Liam Connery and Joe Snelling), and then ‘Stay with Me’. Soloists (Edward Day and Tom Cully) had their hoods up during this song, as did the other choir members, with the lighting changing from reds to pinky mauve.   Tom Cully was the soloist for ‘Far Away’ and Libera finished with Sacris Solemnis.

See  http://www.libera.org.uk/gallery.htm - last two photos, for photos of Libera taken at the concert.

At Lowestoft, the accompanying choir was the Beccles and Lowestoft Choir, again in black and white, and with the women in long blue scarves again (had they borrowed them from Worthing?!), the women at the side and men in the middle.   The lady conductor was very elegant in a long velvet coat with black trousers and white shirt.  Of the three songs sung by the Beccles Choir, I knew the first, but I am afraid I can’t remember it!  The second was the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves (Verdi), and they finished with the Easter Hymn from Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni).

For the Lowestoft concert, Aled had had a very difficult journey getting there (Lowestoft is in the middle of numerous road developments / alterations and it is extremely difficult to find your way around at the moment).   He had arrived at 7.25! having warmed up and changed in the car – so had no time to rehearse with the choir.   So he started by telling the audience this, and you could hear the sigh of sympathy from the audience.  It was virtually a full house, and a totally appreciative audience. And after explaining the problems he added – “so I’m REALLY pleased to actually be here!  The pinnacle has to be Lowestoft - where else – this is it!” and then “I’d stopped biting my nails yesterday – now I’ve started again!”  And from then on the rapport was perfect!  And I have to add that it was a credit to the professionalism not only of Aled, but of the choir, that the songs with the choir accompanying Aled went without a single hitch in spite of there being no rehearsal time together.

The last tour had started with great effect with the very moving beginning of Lead Kindly Light sung in darkness off stage, and Aled coming on stage for the second verse.   How to beat that?!  answer – by starting with the duet version of ‘Walking in the Air’!    We actually began with an elongated introduction to the entry of Aled, as the music changed from the Rodriguez Guitar Concerto to the opening song.   We had the treble voice for the first verse, with Aled off stage, and then he came on to sing the snowman part, as on the “You Raise Me Up“ CD.   He was, as ever, smartly dressed in the dark grey striped suit with a pale mauvey – blue shirt and  - surprise, surprise! – a tie – matching the colour of the shirt but with stripes.   We had some introductory chat, and then the very calming ‘Be Still’.  The back screens started off as pink, blue green and yellow, and changed to varying gentle colours as the song progressed. One thing I did notice was that we did not have the usual high ending!  We all agreed afterwards that Aled’s voice sounded stronger than ever, but had lost none of the soul touching qualities that we all know and love so much, and none of the intensity and depth of feeling, which are so much the Aled trademark.  

‘Marble Halls’ followed; even without Julian Lloyd Weber, it was pretty good! – well done Llinos!   And then Aled went off stage for the Angels to play alone – the Skaters Waltz, with the back cloths suitably coloured blue and green.

Aled returned and asked as usual “Any Welsh in the audience?”  A few voices murmured “yes” and so, on a stage bathed in mauve lighting, Aled sang ‘David of the White Rock’ – in Welsh of course.   I have often wondered why Aled did not sing more in Welsh and was delighted to hear this – it does add another dimension to his singing, with an audience becoming increasingly appreciative. And then as a contrast, ‘San Damiano’, with the stage lit up brightly in green and yellow, and the Angels and Dom swaying as usual in the background.    

The choir, whichever one it was at the different venues, returned to sing us into the interval with Aled.  It was at this point that, at Worthing, Aled looked at the conductor in his white jacket, and commented how smart he looked and “I wish I’d dressed up now!”  (he looked pretty smart to us!)  And it was back to singing in Welsh with ‘Ar Hyd y Nos’, with the choir backing – which led us gently and soothingly into the interval.

After the interval, the Angels filed back on stage, and then on came Aled also.  We started with the very gentle ‘Vespera’ – ‘Before the ending of the day’, and then Aled turned to the Ask Aled cards.

And we were then told that Llinos, the best cellist on the stage that evening (!!) would play Fauré’s Après un Rêve.  And then we had the lovely  ‘Suo Gan’, not of course with the usual harp backing but with the guitar, and it was indeed extremely effective. 

More Ask Aled cards and Aled then took the stage again for ‘Count your Blessings’, and again without the falsetto ending – was he wanting a change?  Or just deciding against it?!  He left the stage for the Angels to perform the rag-time piece, ‘The Entertainer’, and then came the first of the preview songs from the new album, due out in September, ‘If a picture paints a thousand words’.   The backing was Pete on the guitar, and he and Aled really did work together very well.   One treat down, another to come!

After a few more Ask Aled cards, we came to the second of the preview songs, and another by Secret Garden – ‘Always There’.   This was my personal favourite of the two, a typical Aled song, which pulled the heart-strings as ever – I want it now!

A few more questions and answers, and the choir filed back on, for the classic final song that no Aled concert can do without – ‘How Great Thou Art’.  The back swirled gently in blue and mauve, and the Aled poured his usual feeling into the “nation’s favourite hymn”.    Another bow, Aled left the stage, the choir filed off, the applause continued hopefully; and eventually Aled re-appeared, to give us the supreme encore – ‘You Raise Me Up’.  There couldn’t be a better encore – it does indeed Raise Up the audience and leaves them on the appropriate “high” to end the concert.   

Songs sung:

Worthing Philharmonic Choir:
(Worthing concert)  

It’s a grand night for singing    
The Lord is my Shepherd
Be not afraid (Elijah)
He watching over Israel (Elijah)
Ave Verum Corpus (Mozart)
Unknown

Libera:    
(Croydon concert)

Glory to thee my God this night (solo first verse Edward Day – with the others moving in behind during the solo – total 17)
Salve Me (soloists Liam Connery and Joe Snelling)
Stay with Me. Soloists (Edward Day and Tom Cully had hoods up, as did the others, lighting changing from reds to pinky mauve)
Far Away (soloist Tom Cully).
Sacris Solemnis

Beccles and Lowestoft Choir:
(Lowestoft concert)

Knew the song, but sorry – can’t remember it!
Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves (Verdi)
Easter Hymn – Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni)

Backing musicians:
Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto leading to
Aled:                  
Walking in the Air (duet with younger self)
Be Still
Marble Halls
Musicians:
Skater’s Waltz
Aled:
David of the White Rock
San Damiano
Aled and choir:
Ar Hyd Y Nos

Interval

Aled:
Before the ending (Vespera)
Llinos Richards:
cello solo - Fauré’s Après un Rêve
Aled:
Suo Gan
Count Your Blessings
Musicians:
Black & White Rag
Aled:
If a picture
Always there
Aled and choir:
How Great Thou Art
Aled:
Encore: You Raise Me Up

Added: May 1st 2007
Reviewer: xbons
Score: