Review: Katherine Jenkins and John Owen-Jones at The Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

Posted on 3 March 2015
By Chris High
  • Share:

Katherine Jenkins, and her Special Guest and fellow Welsh vocalist, John Owen-Jones, wowed the audience of The Liverpool Philharmonic Hall last night with performances and styles – particularly those of KJs outfits – that were as memorable as they were seductive, yet still managed to inject a sense of the surreal into events taking place on stage, with a programme that ranged from pop songs, through to pieces from some of the great musicals and then onto more Classical masterpieces.

Under the masterful control of the Grammy Award winning Conductor, Anthony Inglis, the National Symphony Orchestra opened proceedings with a faultless performance of from Rossini’s La Gazza Ladra, before on strolled Ms. Jenkins, with a demure wave and a dress resembling a wedding gown, no doubt to remind the gathered that she married Andrew Levitas last September, and broke effortlessly into Beethoven’s Ode to Joy with a vocal almost as almost as unsurpassable as the strapless frock she was wearing.

Some might say – most probably some failed opera singer-turned- blogger, hired by one of the broadsheets to take pot-shots from the side lines – that Katherine Jenkins does not have the range or style for Opera. They may well be right, but nevertheless, her voice remains a powerful weapon against those who line up to take cowardly, self-aggrandising digs at her talents.

This is no blonde haired, fashion puppet of the Classical world, but rather a skilled musician at her zenith and, as proof were it necessary, her rendition of Sanctus, backed brilliantly by Elgar’s Nimrod, offers up evidence that Katherine Jenkins is where she is today on merit and not faux-capabilities.

The Home Sweet Home Tour marks the Classical artistes 10th Album and is designed to illustrate the eclecticism of her catalogue; no more an impressive entry into her pantheon can be that of Leonard Cohen’s classic, Hallelujah , which was given the full Jenkins subtlety and so shone diamond bright upon a stage garnered with vari-lights and something seemingly stolen from the deck of a 1980s cruise ship hanging in ruffles at the back of the stage.

Yet with talent like this, Katherine Jenkins could probably sing in a battered bus shelter and still receive a standing ovation, particularly as one of the highlights of the evening, Anthem from the musical Chess – originally performed by Tommy Korberg and written by Time Rice with music by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus of Abba – which quite literally had the pulse racing.

With a warm welcome from her host, John Owen-Jones took to the stage to faultlessly sing The Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera. Not for nothing is the man who, at incredible short notice, answered the call to stand in as The Phantom recently as the show toured the UK. His is a presence, even sans mask, that would have anybody feeling moved, wheras a somewhat strange choice of Tom Jones’ Thunderball might be better being left alone. Not that it wasn’t performed well, because it was, but rather because it didn’t quite fit into the programme. Nor, really, did the request for questions from the audience at the interval, that ranged from being asked out for a drink, to when can we expect the patter of a tiny orchestra to be heard.

Another quibble being that, during Godfather – a beautifully composed and exquisitely performed piece that demands rapt attention – unfortunately, on this occasion, Katherine’s voice triggered a microphone malfunction that caused its climax to be lost.
However, in light of Madonna’s malfunction at The Brits last week, Katherine simply carried on regardless as though nothing had happened and didn’t even so much as mention it again throughout the performance. Spilt milk and all that, and to be honest the night was barely blemished as a result of any of these technicalities.

Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, which had so gloriously been sung only 48 hours earlier in France prior to Welsh Rugby Union’s triumph in the Six Nations, resounded spectacularly around The Philharmonic with such gusto and verve, those Celts amongst the audience must have been welling up proudly as their National Anthem was being aired, whereas In The Arms of an Angel, sung in tribute to Jenkins’ late best friend doubtlessly, brought further tears although for very different reasons.

Three-quarters through and John Owen-Jones returned to share a passable duet of Freddie Mercury’s Barcelona before swapping banter with the audience and raising more than a few chortles, then quite simply nailing Bring Him Home from Les Miserables.

This is a song that even when done poorly can still resonate. Here, the singer whose new album, Rise, was released just yesterday, absolutely rewrote the performance handbook on how it should be delivered with a rendition gutsy enough to shake the foundations of this famous old building.

The World in Union and We Are The Champions – a song somewhat strangely dedicated to Liverpool’s (the city, not the club) football “team” (not teams) who had won the day before – closed proceedings on a high and left the audience with strange sense of having seen something remarkable, but without being able to quite put their finger on exactly what it was, outside of the performances, that had made it so special.

Katherine Jenkins with John Owen-Jones
The Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
March 2nd, 2015
Orchestra: The National Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Anthony Inglis
PR Rating: **** Strangely Fantastic

Author