Grand Opera House, York – 31st August 2022
Reviewed by Sal E Marino
5*****
The beautiful Grand Opera House, York, hosted what was an evening of pure unfettered joy as we were taken on a non-stop musical jaunt of world-class songs from world-class artists in the form of The Story of Soul. This highly polished performance is just the ticket to take you on a journey of musical magic as you get hear the golden tunes of the last five decades from amazing stars such as: Ben E King, Wilson Pickett, Tina Turner, Earth, Wind and Fire, Barry White and many, many more.
The six singers and their star guest were all absolutely sensational due to being note and pitch perfect, giving spine-tingling sensations throughout. The whole performance was undeniably smooth and flowed effortlessly from chart topping hit after hit. A stand out moment for me personally was when the song ‘Freedom‘ (Aretha Franklin) was performed as it was not just simply outstanding singing but emotional too. It was great to see people out enjoying themselves again and long may it last!
By about the fourth song people were out of their seats having the best time singing and dancing so this is the perfect show to celebrate with friends on a hen party or family and loved ones as you just can’t help but get into the grove. Even more reserved audience members were tapping along and ‘getting down’ by the end numbers as the up-beat atmosphere was electric. By the end we were all simply having a party!
Kudos must be given to the band who were phenomenal and like all of the singing performers – clearly professionals. I actually enjoyed most acts more than the originals because I was getting to hear this music live and that added an even bigger cherry on the cake which I wasn’t expecting. The ladies were like singing goddesses – so captivating with spell-binding voices and the males dazzled with an effervescent energy that filled the opulent Grand.
A very special moment of the show was when Mel Day came on and gave a non-stop rendition of some rip-roaring hits and wow – this man is a powerhouse of soul – amazing! The Story of Soul is a memorable production and one that will simply get you moving and singing which is exactly the point – it will touch your soul and so I would like to give a huge thank you to all of the musicians – you touched mine.