Music/ Canberra Symphony Orchestra and The Cat Empire. At Llewellyn Hall, September 4-5.  Reviewed by IAN McLEAN

What a joy it was to witness a jam-packed Llewellyn Hall audience rise as one to dance, sing and clap along to an extended encore as a wonderful concert came to its conclusion.

Originally a jazz and funk band which formed in Melbourne in 1999, the Cat Empire added touches of ska, reggae and Latin music to create its unique sound and subsequently achieved world-wide success. They have since added elements of Afro-Cuban, Creole and Brazilian music to further refine their infectious style. Only two members of the original band, vocalist Felix Riebl and pianist Ollie McGill, remain, but the captivating music, a vibrant celebration of rhythm, melody and movement, stays true to its unique heritage.

A collaboration with symphony orchestra musicians may seem an unusual musical marriage but it worked a treat! Roscoe James Irwin, one of the two trumpet players in the band, embarked on a project to re-imagine Cat Empire classics by blending their most-loved songs into arrangements especially written for the symphonic stage. Irwin is an excellent player but also a gifted arranger, his end product was masterful and has resulted in the band undertaking an extended tour, partnering with symphony orchestras throughout Australia.

Regrettably there was no concert program produced (a curse for reviewers) but that did not diminish the enjoyment of this high-quality performance. The band itself is amazingly slick and musically tight, all songs were presented with vibrant energy, genuine passion and flair and engagement with the audience from all band members was wonderful.

The trumpet solo by Lázaro Numa, Music is the Language of Us All set the tone early. His high register tonal clarity was quite amazing and seemingly effortless. The piano solos by McGill were excellent. Most grew from him playing a repeated single note beneath the pulsating orchestra but then grew in intensity and rhythmic/melodic complexity until the piano took over and dominated. What a player!

The Canberra Symphony Orchestra provided subtle and most fitting backing throughout but also had appropriate moments to shine. In the rapid works trombones and tuba provided great depth whilst strings and winds were particularly poignant in two of the moving ballads, Be with You Again and Miserere. The helter-skelter of the encore really evidenced the high standard of musicianship within CSO.

An added bonus during the show was the inclusion of two flamenco artists – Arte Kanela. In similar fashion to the lush and lovely orchestra sounds and the unashamed joy of the band, the dancers were mesmerizing as their feet moved at astounding speed to produce near-impossible rhythmic patterns.

The Canberra Symphony Orchestra is to be congratulated for their foresight in venturing into this project. Dedicated planning and preparation must have been undertaken in order to bring the production to fruition and its overwhelming success was richly deserved. The happy smiles and glowing comments from the audience as they excitedly exited said it all!

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