They Can't Take That Away From Me!

So on Monday, I popped along to the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester to see a group in concert who in a way have become a national treasure in this country: the John Wilson Orchestra, who are on a new tour of the UK with their Gershwin in Hollywood concert, featuring songs such as They Can't Take That Away From Me, Slap That Bass, Strike Up The Band, Lady Be Good and S'Wonderful.

Having been regulars at the largest classical music festival in the world (aka, The Proms), they have brought back the golden age of musicals to the concert stage with a bang and from their Proms debut in 2009, have only gone from strength to strength. In fact, one lot of the JWO just wasn't enough this year at The Proms, as we had TWO opportunities for them to grace our tvs and radios - one to celebrate the centenary of Frank Sinatra, the other to celebrate Leonard Bernstein.

They have also managed to garner some really star talents for their singers over the years: including Anna-Jane Casey, Downton Abbey's Julian Ovenden, Sierra Boggess and even Mr Family Guy himself Seth MacFarlane!
For this particular outing, celebrating the Gershwin brothers' music in film, were big band singer Matthew Ford and West End singer Louise Dearman, who I have to say was a HUGE bonus!! There is a reason why she is the only person so far to have played both Glinda and Elphaba in Wicked - because she's so freaking talented!! Her vocals swept the entire hall and there was a moment when she sang with no backing which made the hairs stand up on end.
Though not to sound biased, Ford was also really good and it is clear that he got the style down to a T!

Now onto the JWO themselves, they are truly an incredible ensemble to listen to. A lot of the scores which they play from are, more often than not, THE original orchestrations, which are normally lost or damaged over the years, and John Wilson painfully reconstructs back together bar-by-bar. But my God, it's worth it, as the sound and quality they produce is just incredible. They bring back the authenticity of the work which is rarely heard nowadays, and I genuinely felt like I was in a club in the 20s dancing the Charleston (next stop Strictly!).

All in all, it was a fantastic evening, and I would urge you to go and see them live at some point in your life. I hope to see them again some time in the future during the Proms season - now THAT would be an experience =D