Live Review: Jonsi & Alex Somers With The Sydney International Orchestra And Choir

Entering the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House always brings with it a sense of reverence and quiet joy. As the Sydney International Orchestra began warming up and the audience streamed in to the sound of the final bells, the feeling was palpable.

The diminutive Alex Somers and his longtime collaborator and partner, Jónsi aka Jónsi Birgisson of Sigur Rós crept onto stage right, where they addressed the audience meekly and excitedly. "This is the first time we’ve played this to an audience," shared Somers. "So it’s a special night.”

It was indeed a special night. In celebration of the tenth anniversary of the duo’s ambient masterpiece, Riceboy Sleeps, released in 2009, Birgisson and Somers introduced this live event for the lucky Sydney crowd, who were wowed by the lilting beauty and transformative wonder of this dream-like, meandering instrumental work. The music had shades of Sigur Rós, the band famous for pioneering Icelandic ambient, with Birgisson's influence front and centre.

Jonsi & Alex Somers. Photo by Prudence Upton.

“So, we’re going to play a song called All Animals, and then Riceboy Sleeps.” With this, the pair disappeared into the orchestra and the night began. Warm, nostalgic lighting, like warm sun rays streaming through windows, enveloped the musicians as All Animals wrapped the audience in a trance.

Good things come to those who wait. This was surely the dictum behind this special performance of Riceboy Sleeps, which utilised not simply a vast array of sounds but also the knowing anticipation of fans who have enjoyed this LP for the past decade.

Each new sound added to the harmonic swell. Strange and novel instruments like plastic bags and bubble wrap were used to create a sense of novelty. The most notable features of the individual songs, Happiness, Indian Summer and Sleeping Giant to name a few, were the journeys each song took you on. We moved from mountaintops with angelic, wordless birdsong to majestic forests where leaves crunched underfoot and dark caves full of deep and sombre echoes.

While the show lacked the visual spectacularity Vivid shows are known for (Solange, Hiatus Kaiyote and Fat Freddy’s Drop notable performances fitting that bill in previous years), the sonic experience coaxed you into a dream-like state. If you closed your eyes, the subtle and wistful beauty of the music took you away to a place that was all too vivid.

Jonsi & Alex Somers. Photo by Prudence Upton.