Stayin’ Alive

Any year is a good year to celebrate our modern composers – the new classics if you like – especially those with a Queensland connection. But this year marks 50 years since the Bee Gees released their album ‘Main Course’ which marked their ‘Miami sound’ and, of course, their pivot to rhythm and blues (‘Jive Talkin’, ‘Nights on Broadway’) that segued so famously to disco just two years later. The rest is pop culture and musical history. As part of Southern Cross Soloists (SXS) Sunset Soiree Recital Series, a retrospective of crowd-pleasers by composers such as Mozart or Bach would be the usual expectation. But in the hands of such accomplished classical players, as arranged by Queenslander (and SXS International Ambassador) Sean O’Boyle AM, the tunes of Maurice, Robin and Barry Gibb fit like a satin glove! And in fact, the musicians were all decked out in sparkles and glitter to mark the occasion. We enjoyed the talents of Margaret Blades (her violin providing the all-important falsetto notes), Roger Cui (fresh from a performance with Queensland Ballet on piano), Dave Kemp (percussionist extraordinaire), and Katherine Hopkins (the cello adding the distinctive bass tones). Just four musicians to cover the range of musicality and depth of emotion of a sweet baker’s dozen of scrumptious classic hits.

It's a shame to be spoiler to the setlist, because part of the fun was listening to Sean’s classical arrangements and trying to pick which tune would follow. I was not expecting a vocalist, so it was a real treat to have the songs sung to perfection by Renae Suttie (a Queensland Conservatorium graduate who has worked internationally for more than three decades, including backing other top homegrown talent such as Ian Moss and Kate Miller-Heidke). It takes courage to take on Barry Gibb’s iconic falsetto, but Renae hit the sweet spot on favourites including ‘Tragedy’ and ‘Stayin’ Alive’. She was also able to bring those deep emotions to ballads including ‘How Deep is Your Love’, ‘Emotion’ and ‘More than a Woman’ (which was included in a clever mash-up with ‘Night Fever’). Renae gave a warm and generous performance and I’ll certainly be seeking out her future gigs. SXS Co-Artistic Director, Margaret Blades (sporting a perfect Samantha Sang hairdo) introduced the history behind some of the songs, but I think the classical crowd in the audience were clued in from the start – some impressive dance moves were seen in the aisles with Renae for ‘Grease’ (who even changed into her pink sequined jumpsuit for the occasion).

The Bee Gees’ big ‘comeback’ lasted just over five years, and by 1980, they were writing material for other artists. But what a wonderful legacy of joyful and heartfelt songs – more than 1,000 – they created for us to continue to enjoy. I hope the talented SXS group continue to mine these modern classics. The audience at Stayin’ Alive certainly had a wonderful time, and I absolutely loved every note!

Stayin’ Alive plays on 20 July at Bond University, Gold Coast: www.southernxsoloists.com/ssrs

Beth Keehn

Photographer: Nikhil Deo