[REVIEW]

STAR-BULLETIN / 2001
Singer Christopher Cross, despite suffering from a touch of
laryngitis, performed with the Honolulu Symphony Friday
night during its first Pops concert of the 2001-2002 season.

Laryngitis fails to slow
Christopher Cross show

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Reviewed by John Berger
jberger@starbulletin.com

A touch of laryngitis almost proved as asset Friday night as pop vocalist Christopher Cross joined Principal Pops Conductor Matt Catingub and the Honolulu Symphony for the first Pops concert of the 2001-2002 season.

Cross apologized several times for performing with laryngitis, and his first two numbers were certainly problematic, but when he sang "Think Of Laura" later in the 65-minute show his vocal difficulties added poignancy. The song about a lost love is a tear-jerker anyway, and Cross sounded near tears if not actually choked up as he struggled through the high notes.

Overall, however, Cross sang with greater strength and assurance on every song.

Cross mentioned that it's been about 20 years since he last performed here. He came through with a solid performance on Friday.

Cross delivered his big hits -- "Sailing," "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" and "Ride Like The Wind" -- quite well. Cross distinguished himself Friday as a strong rock guitarist as well. Cross' guitars never let him down even when his voice faltered.

Yes, little has been heard of Cross since the mid-1980s, but the songs he shared from his several "obscure albums" suggest that they're worth hearing. His keyboardist, Kiki Ebsen, was featured on several vocal duets; the ever-versatile Catingub added the sax solo to Cross' single instrumental number, "Rainy Day In Vancouver."

The evening was memorable for other reasons as well. The reunification of the symphony and its former choral component, the Honolulu Symphony Chorus, had been announced prior to the start of the program (the former Honolulu Symphony Chorus has performed in recent years as the Oahu Choral Society). The Symphony and the Chorus meshed perfectly as Catingub closed the first half of the program with a glorious patriotic mini-set -- "American The Beautiful" and "God Bless America."

The reunion performance quickly became an audience sing-along and ended with a standing ovation for the Symphony, the Chorus, and America.

The concert also marked the public debut of "In Memory," an orchestral piece written by Catingub as part of the "healing process" for the September 11 attacks. The composition as a whole is most fairly described as a sincere commemoration of the tragedy that is suitable as mood music of the moment. It is unlikely that many who hear it will find it memorable, but perhaps that's not Catingub's intention.

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