One of the many lovely presents we received last Christmas were tickets to see Roberta Flack at the Sydney Opera House. We hadn’t realized at the time that the performance was on Valentine’s Day, so it was a good excuse for a romantic night out for us, as if we needed an excuse. We started out with dinner at Circular Quay looking out across the harbour as the rain gently fell. Leaving the restaurant the rain strengthened as we walked around to the Opera House, feeling rather Gene Kelly.
Roberta was fantastic. When she moved around the stage she looked her age, but when she sang she was 40 years younger with that pure, effortless style she always had. Backing her was an excellent 7-piece band she brought over for the tour (The Real Artist Symposium) plus the 40-piece Sydney Symphony Orchestra. She did many of the songs she was known for (such as Killing Me Softly and The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face) plus a couple of surprises including a Beatles number. The Concert Hall was packed with an adoring audience, including one very happy couple from Baulkham Hills.
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