If there is one word to describe the King's Singers, it's entertaining. Throughout much of Wednesday's performance at Abravanel Hall, one could almost harken back to the quads at Cambridge University and hear the harmony bouncing off the ivy-covered stone walls.
To say the group captivated the sold-out crowd is an understatement. This concert was pure fun, as well as inspiring, funny, lively and - yes - entertaining.Associate Conductor Robert Henderson called the singers "the most outstanding vocal group in the world today." And that may be an understatement. The King's Singers' range - from the medieval to the modern - stretches them like no other group. And it is only after you sit down to analyze what you've heard that you realize most of the harmony and vocals you've been listening to throughout the evening is just that: six voices, with them doing all the accompaniment.
Yes, the Utah Symphony did back up the singers . . . for selected numbers only. But mostly the six men sang, sans instruments. And they sang in English, Spanish, German, Dutch, Latin . . . well, you get the idea. For their encores - and there were several - they even sang without words, "fa lah lah-ing" and simply "lah lah-ing" their way through the music.
If Wednesday's concert wasn't the most entertaining of the symphony season so far, it was certainly the most anticipated. Salt Lake City was the final stop on the group's American tour this year. The six were heading back to London Thursday morning, no doubt to rest up before heading out next year to Japan and points east.
But the singers were not the only high mark of the evening. The Utah Symphony was showcased in three numbers: a prelude to "Hansel and Gretel," by Humperdinck; Tchaikovsky's "Waltz of the Flowers" from "The Nutcracker"; and "Sleigh Ride" by Mozart - Leopold, not Wolfgang. The orchestra was smooth and delightful throughout, especially Konrad Nelson's work on the harp in the "Nutcracker" piece and supporting the King's Singers and audience during "Away in a Manger."
Only once during the singers' opening number, "The Wassail Song," did the orchestra overpower the voices, and that was only until the stage crew adjusted the volume of the microphones.
Henderson, decked out in red bow tie, cummerbund and boutonniere, also got to do more than just conduct. At one point he filled in on keyboard as the singers, accompanied by harpsichord and a few strings, sang "Stille Nacht" (Silent Night), and he helped out the percussion section by jingling some bells during "Sleigh Ride."
During the symphony's "Hansel and Gretel" piece, Henderson was as animated as I have seen him, conducting as much with his empty left hand as with his baton.
In addition to "Away in a Manger," the audience also sang along with the King's Singers on "O Come, O Come Emmanuel." Surprisingly, the crowd followed the program instructions on when to come in and which parts to sing.
The King's Singers praised the symphony and Henderson twice during the program and returned three times to standing ovations. Their "Deck the Halls" rendition even included kazoos, and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" was a blend of Olde English gentility and American energy.
In the end, the group performed 20 numbers, not just satisfyingly delightful but with feeling, emotion and reverence. And that's entertainment.