There is a surreal excitement that’s driven by comfort as you step into the grand Hamer Hall in Melbourne, knowing you are about to be presented with songs of a childhood’s most favourite artist, performed by euphonious voices that glide out into the evening. It’s like driving proudly home to celebrate a birthday, finding your loved ones sitting around a cooked meal that’s smoking with delectable flavours. The smells are beckoning, inviting and enticing. There’s a radiance in the event that’s about to take place, an eagerness and a happy intensity. So, despite there being 2,499 other audience members gathering with you, there’s a collegiate sense of belonging that Billy Joel’s incredible music houses.
A delightful string quartet opens the celebration with a welcome to country, then the lights suddenly brighten as conductor Leonard Weiss enters, waves his wand and it’s all about being “Just The Way You Are” in a Rock ‘n Roll Medley. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra provides an irresistible energy in their music that fills the audience with smiles, as the saxophone swoons over the top of the harmonies, the timpani bounces as it brings all the flashing lights, and Phil Burton, Alinta Chidzey, Jess Hitchcock and Josh Piterman make their entrance – “Let’s hear it Melbourne!”
As Josh with his transcendence of talent delivers an emotive performance of “Vienna”, the lighting changes into a sunset with a yellow glow that fills with orange as the warmth of the second verse rings out. There’s gentle keys in the background and a soft tone created by the MSO. This contrasts nicely then as Jess soulfully voices the powerful line “I don’t need you to worry for me, ‘cause I’m alright”, and in a series of full orchestra crescendos, she holds belief in this song as she moves to the music and the brass strikes a pose for her final words in “My Life” blasting out “leave me alone!”
The incredibly gifted Alinta then delights us next with “Just the Way You Are” and the lights turn blue whilst the synthesizer keys vibe an 80’s chillaxed evening at a bar, with a purple hue adding a depth of romance when she voices beautifully “you always have my unspoken passion”. There’s a brightness when the piano starts during “Turn the Lights Back On” and the strings draw to make magic as the captivating Phil Burton sings into the spotlight with “I won’t give up on you.”
Next we have a duet between the boys in “She’s Always a Woman/ She’s Got a Way”. The grand piano is in all its charm and the strings bring heart when Josh enters with “she’s got a way about her” and the percussion decorates over. There’s a beautiful flute line that lifts over the top of the song in “she’s got a smile that heals me”, and the lights rotate to create a roundness like a hug. As Jess discusses “Lullabye” when Billy Joel wrote the song for his 7 year old daughter, there is a stillness created by the MSO whilst only keys and voice echo out. The lighting moves in orbs like a baby’s musical mobile circling over a crib, and this song, along with the next few are sung with charming sincerity.
When Josh strikes us under a ray of blue and gold, the percussion performers bop along with the tambourines and the warmth of the brass sounds drive the volume in “All About Soul”. A twinkling star would then describe “New York State of Mind” when Alinta’s all a sparkle and the MSO accompaniment envelopes a wondrous wave of sound, forming a musical world that magically spins together in unison.
When Jess takes to the keys in “And So It Goes”, a gentle light sits on her and the flute solo creates an altogether melancholy image. Josh then heats it all up again with “Movin’ Out” and there’s strength in the rock that captivates the audience. There’s another mashup where the drums are a precise heart beat, driving the experience into the night where the trumpets ring out and the french horns add ornamentation. The harmonies in instrument and voice are incredible, and because the stage is full of enjoyment, the crowd loves every happy swaying moment.
Across the whole evening, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra delivers brilliance. The strings cast out the melodies and push notes out into the distant stars. They thrill your spine to give backing a strong direction and steer the tunes with clarity. The woodwinds add a wholesome tone of unity with flavour. They provide a sustenance within the group, whilst the brass give the bold muscle force and blast movement. They create body in the music, and then the percussion adds the drive and run, like the moving wheels pushing forward. The electric guitar is striking, delivering enjoyment to the music by creating a glorious atmosphere for feelings to truly be felt.
This is the time to remember.
As the audience claps along into the night, there’s just pure joy and an uplifting spirit. The Piano Man completes the night, Jack Earle performing with virtuosic flair as he runs his hands up and down the keys. Leonard Weiss gets a huge applause as he takes to the harmonica, and he should be commended for his conducting that is full of meaning, musical message and perfection in painting a picture with his baton. He uses both arms to encourage his players with feeling, and breathes air into the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra as he executes with entertainment and precision.
There’s something that makes music an incredible gift when delivered to you live with voice, instruments and the power of the now. No matter what the message is, every adventure number will feel like something unique. And the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s Piano Man – Celebrating the music of Billy Joel is a beauty.
