Humperdinck warmed the hearts with songs that stood the test of time and made us feel young again…
Nostalgic moments and a delicate evergreen mood filled the air on Tuesday night when Engelbert Humperdinck took to the stage of the University Cultural Centre in Singapore.
Singing a plethora of songs from his older repertoire of albums, as well as from one of his latest album ‘The Man I Want to Be’, Humperdinck charmed the hearts of everyone in the audience, many of whom were in their forties to sixties.
It was a beautiful and endearing night, that had many in the crowd singing along to old favourites that they had loved over the decades. The guy on my left knew every word to every song and it was wonderful…
‘After the Lovin’ and ‘Il Mundo’, for instance, were utterly lovely pieces.
Not forgetting of course, popular hit ‘Quando, Quando’ which was another crowd favourite, and which was further accentuated and illuminated by the colourful stage lighting and showmanship of Humperdinck as he danced the length of the stage.
Not to be forgotten during the concert were the musicians who toured with the legend. For instance, guitarist Johann Frank’s solo was quite something!
Indeed, it was a magical night throughout and even Humperdinck’s rendition of Bruno Mars’ ‘Just The Way You Are’ was beautifully arranged. In fact, as I was leaving the venue that night, I overheard a lady say that she liked Humperdinck’s version much better…
For me, perhaps my favourite song of the evening was his beautiful duet with his granddaughter Olivia, who appeared on a pre-recorded video on the screen behind him.
“I met my wife in a dance hall. And we danced together. We’ve been dancing together ever since…” said Humperdinck.
This special moment which felt almost like an “ode of love” was so beautiful and heartwarming. The incandescent of the colours that both glowed and flowed in the song was a flame of love. And for her age and maturity in which she holds the emotions of the song, dear Olivia’s vocals were just phenomenal.
Serenading us with the beloved ‘Release Me’, which has been a hit for the last fifty-three years, Humperdinck took to the stage one last time with this popular encore, showing yet again both the prowess of his vocals and the vigour of his energy.
Watching fans rush forward to shake his hand, and reaching out to get one of those precious and popular red handkerchiefs that he throws at the end of his concerts, was an endearing scene.
It was as though everyone was 16 or 17 again. A really wonderful sight…
As someone who has always loved to listen to evergreen music or oldies on the radio, this 34-year old, old soul, left the hall happy and with a full heart.
Thank you Mr Humperdinck for your music.
Special thanks to LAMC Productions for the invite.
