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The annual collaboration between the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and LIMF Academy was a triumph.
The orchestra, consisting of 31 most talented musicians alongside conductor Katie Chatburn, only had four rehearsals with each artist before the night, but each performance was carried off with aplomb, showcasing the raw talent of all involved.
DAYZY – Opening a show is never an easy task, but DAYZY brought such energy to the stage with his opening cover of ‘Kick Push’ by Lupe Fiasco.
His stage presence exuded confidence and he was beaming ear to ear, clearly enjoying the performance as well as the audience. Dressed to impress in a suit, Dayzy looked at home on stage at The Phil in front of the orchestra.
It was refreshing to hear his original song ‘Dreamers Dream’, translated beautifully by the young players, with a hypnotic and melodic chorus, something similar to a Kanye West production.
Hannah Morgan – Performing two original songs, ‘Miranda’ and ‘Seen’. Hannah’s voice is soothing and clean, with an impressive vocal range for an artist so young.
Her songs were extremely well written, especially ‘Miranda’, which was an ode to her mother. She also performed a cover of SZA’s hit ‘Good Days’, this song had sentimental meaning to Hannah, which was conveyed in her performance. She is one to watch in the upcoming year.
Superlate – After a short interval, we were treated to a modern spectacle from Liverpool-based music producer Superlate. With his music accompanied by vocals from both Immi Dash and Olivia Rebel, Superlate brought the house down with his unique sounds, tropical productions and infectious grooves alongside the orchestra.
While he admitted there were a few technical difficulties during his performance, we in the audience didn’t notice and just like a pro, Superlate made it an impressive and memorable performance.
KOJ- The final artist of the night came out on stage bringing an infectious swagger and great stage presence. KOJ with his unique fusion of grime and UK rap, delivered an authentic performance with his personal lyrics resonating with the audience.
Performing two of his own songs, Reminder and Villain With A Conscience, KOJ resonated with the crowd and put on a performance to be reckoned with.
Special recognition to both Amy Dyce and Leila Simpson, who were backup singers for all performers, but also got the chance to solo a song of their choice. Amy sang ‘At Last’ while Leila sang ‘Valerie’.
It was a joy to witness the hard work of all the instrumentalists and performers pay off.
Credit: Nikki Dyer