Music must be the secret fountain of youth.
It moves us. When we are open to it, we can feel music deep down. It can move us either physically or emotionally, and if its really good, it might do both. And, this is just the kind of movement that is good for us. It is good for our hearts and our souls…so it must help to keep us young.
For those out to witness Neil Diamond’s show at the Corel Centre this past Sunday, this notion that music is necessary fuel for a full and happy life ought to have been evident. While I myself did not exactly fit the audience’s demographic profile (it was more my Mom’s scene), this lively crowd of nearly 10, 000 were literally moved to their feet. They were hooting, hollering and dancing in the aisles, and Neil Diamond was sufficiently brilliant to bring the house down with an audience of his contemporaries. Playing old favourites alongside new songs from his recent, critically acclaimed albums 12 Songs and Home Before Dark, the show was a masterful mix of varying stories, rhythms, and tempos.
I must say, I was impressed by the youthfulness, the spirit and the bona fide vigour of the crowd.
Watching so many people moved by Neil Diamond and his music was a rare experience. With his soulful voice, his insightful honest lyrics and his unparalleled stage presence, he was able to fill the room and make it seem small. Unlike any stadium concert I have ever been to, there was an intimacy that was palpable and a nostalgic but optimistic energy that permeated the vastness of the space. I think it felt a lot like wisdom.
Neil Diamond seems able to capture and express a collective understanding that is universally appealing. The simplicity of his songs, with their many layers of truth, convey the complexities of life in a way that audiences can genuinely learn and benefit from. I myself feel younger and wiser having seen the show!
Photos by me
