Simon and Garfunkel music has been the soundtrack of my life, but I wasn’t prepared to be so blown away emotionally. Bookends are brilliant, Dan Haynes and Pete Richards, not just a tribute band but world class re-creators of the authentic music of Simon and Garfunkel.
The show last night took us from the early formative years of Paul when he was playing in folk clubs in England right up to when they performed together last. Some of the less well known songs were particularly moving such as A Most Peculiar Man, and Richard Cory. Somehow just sitting and concentrating on the lyrics and the two perfect voices and single guitar focused me on how talented and genius songwriter Paul Simon is. As pointed out The Boxer is high up in the list of greatest songs of all time, the lyrics and beautiful melody were done complete justice by Bookends on Saturday night.
Simon and his daft uncle, as my children used to say, was part of every holiday journey and played at family funerals and the like, I had a new memory lovely of my father singing Cecilia a lot when I was young, which I had forgotten.
They got a deserved standing ovation at the end of the show and deservedly, even though I was crying through some of the programme, it was not just me I noticed, it was such a beautiful performance and will forever stay in my memory. Thank you Bookends for bringing back all the memories.
Review by Ann Taylor
