Much fun was had by all in this latest sold out concert by acapella group The Idea of North at the Independent Theatre part of the Prelude in Tea series on Sunday afternoons.
The current line up of this magnificent acapella group consists of Kai Kitamura,( vocal percussionist ) Luke Thompson,( bass) Nick Begbie, ( tenor) Naomi Crellin ( musical director) and Emma Rule (soprano).
The ARIA award winning group was originally formed in 1993 .
The show was warm, witty and funny with the members of the group trading jokes, talking to the audience and there was audience participation .
The concert featuring the unique vocal arrangements and blend of voices included a range of various styles from doo wop to advertising jingles, soft pop ballads and works by Australian songwriter and radio personality Jack O’Hagan. Timing and phrasing was spectacular.
Highlights included – a rich, very moving version of ‘Both Sides Now’ that had some audience members surreptitiously wiping away tears.
In You’re Gonna Live Forever In Me each member of the group had a small featured solo.
‘Stoned Soul Picnic’ with its snappy catchy rhythms ebbed and flowed.
In the ensemble’s special presentation of Heideröslein the voices soared angelically .
Begbie and his interaction with the other group members in F Sharp – bright and bouncy , with Thompson , Crellin and Rule providing an almost galloping undertone of accompaniment – had the audience in fits of laughter.
‘Fugue No 2 in C Minor’ was a bright, bubbly contemporary reinterpretation of a Bach piece from ‘The Well Tempered Clavier’ .
Written by Thompson Beyond The City , was slinky and vivid.
Kai Kitamura had a solo spot that had the audience simultaneously in awe and laughing with his special vocal effects of a vacuum cleaner, a Japanese bullet train and a Japan Airlines plane taking off ,among other things . He also demonstrated various types of drums he could use and went wild in an explosive percussive drum set and led the audience in The Little Drummer Boy.
James Taylor’s Shower The People (conducted by an audience member) was smooth , burnished and intensely passionate .
The encore was ‘Not Perfect’ showcasing yet again the group’s glittering, interweaving, lush, limpid, vocal melodies.
The audience didn’t want to leave and there was a brisk sale of CDs before and after the concert.
There was one performance only by The Idea of North at the Independent Theatre 10 November 2019 Running time just under two hours including interval
https://www.theindependent.org.au/Events/The-Idea-of-North/The-Idea-of-North%3ALive-in-Sydney