BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Compassion.
Undoubtedly, it’s a quality that drives music itself. Through compassion, we can allow music to move us. We can feel the experience of other concertgoers who sit beside us when we listen to the most beautiful works performed live. We can feel connected to musicians who are striving to tell us a story through sound.
Compassion is also the name of the first union between Lior and the Australian Youth Orchestra. In 2017, he performed his own song cycle Compassion with Nigel Westlake. And, as he now returns to make music with the players of AYO in next month’s performance, Lior says he is struck not only by the shared musicianship but “by the passion and enthusiasm these young musicians brought, which is the difference between giving just a good performance or a truly moving one”.
These qualities will surely be seen through Leaving the Western Shadows on December 13, in which AYO musicians in Momentum Ensemble will perform Lior’s personally curated music under the baton of Westlake once again.
Of Leaving the Western Shadows, Lior says: “The decision to embark on a performance of orchestrations to my original singer-songwriter material flowed from both of us wanting to perform together again given we had such a positive experience the first time around.”
The concert will feature arrangements of his Bedouin Song, Daniel, and This Old Love. And if you’ve listened to his latest album Between You and Me, you’ll get to hear some of these familiar new works, too.
The Momentum Ensemble will enliven these works with Lior; it’s a group of orchestral performers that “democratise classical music, bringing new interpretations and unconventional works to audiences”, according to the AYO itself.
So it’s no wonder Lior reckons “it is a great thrill to stand in front of an orchestra and feel the human-powered force that it can emanate”.
Momentum players will have the chance to learn from this artist, whose string of success includes winning two ARIAs, a platinum-selling album, a Triple J Australian Album of the Year nomination (a station on which his This Old Love is the most requested song), and an APRA Screen award. But as impressive as it may sound, Lior is humble to admit the education goes both ways.
“Quite simply, they remind me of my younger self and the reasons I got into music and songwriting,” Lior says of the Momentum talent.
“That youthful energy and wide-eyed approach to artistry and performance is infectious, and serves as a great antidote to the weight that certain realities can bring the older you get.
“The collaboration also enables me to perform a wider range of material such as songs like April Bloom that are not possible to recreate live without an orchestra.”
When the rehearsal and performance experience gets down to business, Lior is particularly looking forward to pushing the musicians to understand the power of lyrics.
“I hope that Nigel and I can work with the musicians in devising a performance that not only conveys the richness of what these musicians can bring through their instruments, but that can use the orchestra as a musical device to support and enhance the lyric,” he explains.
“Above all, I would say the challenge for the musicians will be how to listen to elements they perhaps may not be used to focusing on and thereby adapt.”
Momentum Ensemble and Lior with conductor Nigel Westlake will perform Leaving the Western Shadows in the Seymour Centre, 8pm December 13.
We’re excited to team up with the Australian Youth Orchestra this year to bring you the stories behind the scenes!
