Remembering Scott Walker’s Songs at the Barbican with Father John Misty
Barbican, London. Friday 19 May 2023, 7.30pm
Setlist
Prologue (1, 2)
Montague Terrace (in Blue)
It’s Raining Today
Rosemary
Jo
Boy Child (5)
The Seventh Seal
Copenhagen (6)
Thanks for Chicago Mr. James (1, 6)
The Old Man’s Back Again (Dedicated to the Neo-Stalinist Regime)
The Electrician (3, 7)
Two Ragged Soldiers
Sleepwalkers Woman
On Your Own Again (6)
Such a Small Love (5)
Duchess (5)
Farmer in the City (4, 8)
Father John Misty
BBC Symphony Chorus (Grace Rossiter chorus-master)
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Jules Buckley conductor
Tracks composed by Scott Walker, except (1) Scott Walker/Ady Semel
Original arrangements by Angela Morley, except (2) Angela Morley/Peter Knight, (3) Dave MacRae, (4) Brian Gascoigne
Transcriptions and additional arrangements by Jules Buckley, except (5) Tom Trapp, (6) Stefan Behrisch, (7) Peter Riley, (8) Jochen Neuffer
Review
By Rob Delaney, Twitter May 19th 2023
Just returned from seeing Father John Misty with Jules Buckley conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Chorus
First of all, the second I heard this was happening I got tickets because I'm personally insane about both Scott Walker and Father John Misty. And the idea that they were to be wed musically within walking distance from my house was too much to resist.
The show was utterly spectacular. Jules Buckley's arrangements were stunning. How did he do it?? I gather Angela Morley, who arranged Walker's earlier solo albums (from which most of the evening's program was drawn) did not leave her scores sitting around somewhere, so he had to do a lot of work to transcribe from the albums. I hope he'll be in the media somewhere soon telling us about the process. Beyond thrilling to hear those lush, honeyed (and sometimes dangerous [in a sexy way]) arrangements live in the beautiful Barbican Hall. Last thing I heard there was the London Symphony Orchestra doing Mahler's 9th and this was absolutely of the same stature. So just truckloads of kudos to Jules Buckley. And Father John Misty was the ideal vessel to deliver Walker's words.
While they're different in many ways, they both exist in a very small realm of artists whose lyrics are as rich and evocative and wonderful as their music. Even though I'm a writer I don't usually bother too much with songs' lyrics; I just want to groove. I think a lot of people are the same. But both Misty and Walker's lyrics are so exquisite and cared for and doted upon in their creation and expression that you can't ignore them! If you did, you'd still be knocked over by the music, but since you can't, the resultant tapestry is one you want to roll around in and smell while you dance lying down.
A ways through the show, Misty said that Buckley had originally thought of having several singers participate in a tribute to Walker but Misty put a stop to that idea. And thank goodness he did because with just Misty on the mic, it allowed the songs to be the star of the evening. No other singers were there to compete or display a different level of commitment or compatibility. Misty's performance was gorgeous and unadorned. It was inspiring to see an artist at his level sublimate himself in service of some miraculously beautiful songs he obviously dearly loves.
The show was recorded and highlights of it will be on BBC Radio 6 Music in the Gideon Coe show next Thursday at 9pm. It will be released as an album as well and I will wear it out.