Top-notch team celebrated Beatles with passion, flair

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE — DSO PLAYS THE BEATLES 

Dunedin Symphony Orchestra Saturday, March 11 Dunedin Town Hall

The musical genius of the Fab Four was celebrated and enhanced in a fabulous performance by Dunedin Symphony Orchestra and a topnotch team of musicians and singers in Saturday’s ‘‘All You Need is Love’’ show.

Led with passion and flair by arranger/conductor Tom Rainey, the performance featured superb young lead singers Luke Butson, Dominic Edmond, Emily Kerr-Bell, backing singer Ella Ruddle, and guitarist-singer Graham Wardrop, with Michael Grant (keyboard/piano), Finn Kite (electric guitar), Lloyd Williams (electric bass), and Robert Craigie (drums).

With the enthusiastic and highspirited support of the orchestra, this talented crew took the audience on a boogie down musical memory lane with songs like Eleanor Rigby, Penny Lane, Norwegian Wood, Yesterday, She’s Leavin’ Home, The Long and Winding Road, and so much more.

In a brilliant show, the highlights for this reviewer included Here Comes The Sun and the Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End medley that ended the first half, Wardrop’s beautiful rendition of Blackbird, Kerr-Bell’s stunning vocals on Imagine, and an epic Hey Jude.

Two standing ovations and thunderous foot-stomping applause at the conclusion of the concert’s final medley said it all. The audience (myself included) loved it and went home happily humming their favourite Beatles tunes. Bravo!

Brenda Harwood The Star 16 March 2023