Ronel's Concert In Cape Town South Africa
We departed from OR Tambo on Wednesday 9 March 2011 for Cape Town to attend the concert in the Grand West Arena after André cancelled his 26 March 2011 Parade concert due to illness in 2010. On Thursday we drove down the coastal beaches round Fischoek and Simons Town and on Friday we went to Stellenbosch and Mooiberge and prepared for the concert.
When we arrived at the Grand West Casino, we sat down in a restaurant and to our surprise, bumped into Franco and Bela. We had such a lovely time chatting to them and me and Ludwig said we must only get a photo of us and Gary Bennett as we already met Thomas in 2009 in the street in Maastricht and VOILA!!!! a few minutes later, in walks Gary Bennett - such a charming man.
The concert started and André and JSO started off a performance as always, BEYOND BEAUTIFUL!!!!! His repertoire consist of:
►Seventy Six Trombones (entry)
►Voices of Spring
►La Danza
►Heut ist der schonste tag (Platin Tenors)
►Dein is mein ganzes herz (Platin Tenors)
►Snow Waltz
►Ballad for Adeleen from Richard Clyderman
►Skater's Waltz - with snow falling from the roof onto the people
►Im Weissen Rosl (Tenors and Sopranos Kalki, Mirusia and Kimmy)►Feuer Fest (the anvil and blacksmith Roland Lafosse and Noel Perdaens as it was on Schonbrunn DVD in Vienna)
►Vilja from the Merry Widow by Kimmy Skota - she got a standing ovation.
►Wiener Blut with the Golden Ball Hall of the Schonbrunn as backdrop curtain.
►Mama - 3 Platin tenors
►Chianti Lied
►Don't cry for me Argentina - Mirusia with the castle of Evita Peron in Argentina as backdrop curtain.
►Bummel Petrus - where the audience had to whistle - as on the Flying Dutchman DVD
►The Blue Danube
►Halleluja - tenors and sopranos from the Messias of Handel
►Radetsky March
►Strauss & Co - Balloons falling from top.
►Libiamo - drinking song from La Traviata.
►Guest artist James Bhemgee - he won the SA's got talent competition - an absolute wonderful awesome tenor and he sang a well known song of which I unfortunately do not know the name - and a verse in Afrikaans language.
►Tribute to Madiba - Nelson Mandela and Kimmy and Mirusia sang Twinkle twinkle little star and Tula Sizwe as Madiba told André it is his favourite melodies.
►All together we sang old traditional Afrikaans songs 'Bobbejaan klim die berg' and 'Sarie Marais'. Amazing Grace - Andre, Teun and Manoe And the concert ending with Lullaby ...
It was to me - as always - a day in my life that remains in my memory as OUTSTANDING - however I am disappointed in the Cape Town audience as they were not dancing or screaming or cheering as we are used to - they sat as if they were in a movie where no-one must talk or stand up - me and Ludwig enjoyed it thoroughly and I wish I could relive this concert this coming weekend here in my own hometown - Sun City ............ Ronel
Thanks for a excellent review Ronel, it has whet the appetite for Andre in May in Melbourne!
ReplyDeletecheeRIEU, from Val & Vic Friendship Group x :)TERIA
Thank you very much for that Ronel. Lovely to hear a first hand report from someone who was there. I do hope the audiences here in the UK are not going to sit quietly like that!
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