The last time Aled sang in Adelaide, I understand, it was at the Adelaide Town Hall, and the concert was very successful, with Aled saying that it was his favourite venue in Australia. This time, Aled was booked to appear at the Adelaide Festival Hall, a considerably larger venue, and although the hall was not fully booked, Aled said afterwards that he preferred the theatre. The Australian tour is called the “Reason to Believe” tour after the title of his latest album, and most of the songs, but not all, were indeed from the “Reason To Believe” album
The Adelaide Festival Hall was built as part of the Festival Centre in 1973 and holds 2000. It has three layers of seating – Stalls, Circle and Upper Circle; we were seated at the back of the Circle. The walls of the hall are very plain, the seats all in a deep maroon colour. The stage as we entered was dark, with plain black behind, and with a piano to the right and seats for “Aled’s Angels” and the guitarist already in place. To the left was a spot-lighted harp – always a necessary instrument at an Aled concert as there are always Welsh songs which need a Welsh harp to accompany them! As the concert started, the soft lights on the stage came on at the back to show the accompanying choir, the Metropolitan Male Choir of South Australia, all dressed in matching grey jackets, already standing in place on a raised platform behind the seats for the accompanying instrumentalists.
We started with a number of songs from the Choir, accompanied by their pianist – “Amazing Grace”, a selection of American songs including “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah”, and “I wish I was in Dixie”. We had “Danny Boy”, followed by “Let it be me” and “Softly, as I leave you” plus a couple more whose words I did not catch or was not able to get the titles down.
And then on filed the Angels, the guitarist and harpist, and the pianist, and seated themselves. We started, as has been usual in recent Aled concerts, with the guitar concerto by Rodriguez which evolves into “Walking in the Air” sung by young Aled, and then Aled himself coming on stage to join in with the snowman part as per the “Walking in the Air” duet on the “You Raise me up” CD. After explaining to the audience what they had actual heard, and having a little discussion about singing with his younger self and how he felt about it (he said it did not worry him, it was like singing with someone else entirely!), we moved to some thing entirely different and much more serious – “Be Still My Soul”. Aled then started, a capella, “Bugeilio'r Gwenyth Gwyn”, with the background musicians gradually joining in as the song progressed. Following this he announced that he was having a three minute break, and went offstage to allow for a harp solo, which was, as ever, very effective and touching - when are harp solos ever not?!
On Aled’s return, we had “The Rose”, which he told us was one of his favourites at the moment, and after some delay, the choir rejoined Aled on stage to provide backing for “Suo Gan”. This Welsh lullaby, always beautifully and gently performed by Aled, allowed him to talk about his family a little as he said that it had been his daughter Emilia’s favourite lullaby. And then we finished the first half with “Ar Hyd Y Nos” – “All through the Night” – with the first verses sung in Welsh and the later verses in English, and with the choir backing him.
After the interval, Aled started with “San Damiano”, followed by “Reason To Believe”, which he again said was one of his favourites at the moment. Aled usually has a session of “Ask Aled” questions, during the second half of his concerts, and the “Ask Aled” cards had been visible at the desk selling programmes and CDs. So we had some “Ask Aled” cards, which seemed to go down well, with Aled, as ever, using the opportunity to respond in his usual humorous fashion. One card said that, as Aled was here at the moment with his family, could they all meet up the next day, as the questioner had children about the same age as Aled’s. “Tomorrow is my day off” he replied. “I’ll be in a vineyard in Melbourne. It’ll be .......!”
We had “Father and Son”, followed by more Ask Aled cards, one of which asked him what he did when he left the stage for three minutes. “Whatever it is” he replied – “I’m going to do it again!’, at which point he left the stage again, for the cellist to play “The Swan”. On his return we had “If” - another favourite, it would appear. More “Ask Aled” cards, and then a song in which we were all invited to join, as it was a more up-beat number, although I don’t think many did – “Whenever God Shines his Light”. Aled’s Angels played “The Beauty of You”, and the choir returned for their next song with Aled. In thanking the Angels, Aled said that they were with him only in Adelaide, whereas he would have the same group for the other concerts; it did make one realise how difficult it could be for him on tour with ever changing backing musicians.
We had more Ask Aled question cards; in response to one he said that he had just signed for another two years of “Songs of Praise” - which the audience applauded loudly. Much of Aled’s following in Australia comes from the fact that Songs of Praise, a programme which, of course, he presents and also sometimes sings in, is shown in Australia. He had also received one card which called him “Alan Jones” (an Australian radio presenter I believe) which, in typical Aled fashion, he threw way across the stage in mock disgust! And then we came to the final number – naturally “How Great Thou Art” plus the full voice of the choir behind, brilliantly sung and brilliantly received as ever.
The choir filed off, and Aled himself went off. The applause continued hopefully and he eventually returned, asked if we wanted one more – and we were treated to – of course – “You Raise Me Up”. One thing I noticed! – the third line reads: ‘Then, I am still and wait here in the silence’, but Aled’s version, no doubt for Australian audiences, was ‘Then, I am still and wait here in the sunlight’! Some of the audience rose to their feet in a standing ovation as ‘You Raise Me Up’ ended, and the applause certainly seemed to be very warm.
The evening was the typical range of entertainment that you expect at an Aled concert – ranging from choral singing by the guest choir, to instrumental pieces by the harp, the cello and the accompanying strings, to Aled’s own special vocal contribution, as touching and as well received as ever, to his own brand of humour as evinced by his response to the ‘Ask Aled’ cards. All the comments I heard were very positive and it was evident the audience had thoroughly enjoyed all the evening.
We were told Aled was not signing after the concert, as he was at other concerts, and so went round to the stage door. He explained later that they needed to have a post production discussion – mind you, he spent so much time talking with the group waiting to see him, photographs, signing CDs etc, that any post production meeting would run very late! Aled certainly seemed very happy to be back in Adelaide, and said he had enjoyed the concert – and hoped we had also! And then it was time to leave, and wish him all the best for the rest of the tour.
