Well those maestros of the keyboards, messrs Tedeschi and Hunt, proved, yet again, that Coldplay aren’t the only ones who can captivate a Sydney audience.

Debussy, Ravel, Duke Ellington and Gershwin never sounded better, and Simon and Kevin’s joyful interaction with each other and the audience, made the evening even more special.

The Stuart Pianos dominated the stage and it looked at times like our pianists were driving huge chariots! With an extra 14 piano keys at his disposal Simon became a little ‘discombobulated’ (as he called it) when he got a little lost in the vast geography of the keyboard (not that this writer seemed to notice as his playing remained flawless).

Kevin of course adored these wonderful Australian built pianos and was in his element all night.

And “Rhapsody in Blue” played by these two great musicians on these two great pianos in this great theatre was worth the entrance fee alone. For the third year in a row everyone I spoke to said what a magical night it was.

And it was magical for some sixty families in Malawi, who will now be able to borrow money to set up their own businesses and get professional training in how best to operate their own micro businesses.

We are pleased to announce that after the costs of theatre hire etc we managed to raise more than $5,000 on the night, and by subsequent Gifts received by concert attendees who felt so strongly about the micro loan concept that they made additional Gifts after the concert (one single Gift was for $500!).

So a big thank you to Simon, Kevin and the Independent Theatre for their support and our wonderful volunteers Paula and Kamaia. Thx Clive Hughes.

PS

A few weeks ago, ABC Classics filmed a featurette to celebrate the release of Gershwin and Me. Their commission was simple: to record something short and punchy. Here’s the YouTube video:

Gershwin and Me is also on iTunes.