Performance review: ‘The Music of Simon & Garfunkel’ at the Winspear

When my friend told me she had an extra ticket to the symphony at the Winspear Centre, I was ecstatic. As a lover of live performances and classical music I couldn’t turn down the opportunity. Yet, when I found out it was Simon & Garfunkel themed I was skeptical. I’ll admit, I’ve heard of the iconic duo, but I’m not familiar with any of their songs. I was nervous I wouldn’t get the same experience from the performance not knowing their songs. But boy was I wrong.

The Music of Simon & Garfunkel is part of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra‘s (ESO) Specials. These specials are concert-esque performances that have a theme — some upcoming shows include the music of Hans Zimmer and Anime in Concert. Even with the theme of Simon & Garfunkel, I still thought it would be solely instrumental. However, the performance was lead by two performers who acted as Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel — Jim Witter and Ian Tanner. The orchestra was conducted by Robert Bernhardt, and together their talents made for an outstanding evening.

Kicking the night off with “Mrs. Robinson” immediately energized the crowd. The acoustic guitars packed a hearty punch of both folk and upbeat rhythm. While I wasn’t expecting to hear guitars alongside string instruments like violins, and brass instruments like the trumpet and trombone, I was pleasantly surprised. The crisp guitar strumming alongside the enchanting symphony was the perfect blend of sounds that made the setlist outstanding.

Witter and Tanner’s vocals blended together so smoothly. In every song they played, their silky harmonies guided the instrumentals along. Additionally, their voices coincided elegantly on both the slower songs and the upbeat ones.

“Bridge Over Troubled Water” had an emotional build as the song carried through the Winspear. Here the strings reached a crescendo alongside Witter and Tanner’s heartfelt laments. On the other hand, the more lively songs like “I Am a Rock,” contained the same grand instrumentals as their more mellow counterparts. The original track of “I Am a Rock” has the basics — electric guitar, the drums, and maybe some synthesizer. But nothing will compare to the orchestra version performed by the ESO and Witter and Tanner. Who knew a simple catchy tune could be so much more with a full-scale orchestra?

The music wasn’t the only entertaining part of the show. Witter’s banter with the audience in between songs was a remarkable highlight. He began his introduction with a story about his older brother Charlie who he explained was the embodiment of the 1960s. He painted a vivid picture of his brother high as a kite, with the typical laid-back/hippie personality. The icing on the cake of his Charlie impression was when he held up two peace signs saying “far out,” as he would segue into the next song. After the next couple of songs Witter would end with saying “far out,” encouraging the crowd to repeat it back. Which we gladly did.

Audience engagement went even further during “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” where Witter encouraged the audience to a call and response. He sang “you just slip out the back,” while the audience shouted “Jack.” Then he continued with “make a new plan,” and we followed with “Stan,” and so on. My seat was shaking from all the stomping feet during this song. And there were hundreds of beaming smiles on everyone’s faces.

The perfect ending to a perfect night was their rendition of “Cecilia.” While this song is already upbeat, the addition of bongos, French horns, and other nontraditional elements made for a catchy closer. As someone who didn’t know many lyrics to begin with, this song was easy to learn as you go — “Cecilia, you’re breaking my heart, you’re shaking my confidence daily.”

While I went into this performance not knowing much about the iconic Simon & Garfunkel, I left with even more of an appreciation of live music, and the desire to go home and learn their entire discography.