The Bacharach/David songbook is amongst the most illustrious in modern popular music spanning from the 1950’s to the present day. Some describe it as easy listening, and it is easy on the ear, its is also supremely crafted musically and lyrically.

Thirty five of his songs are played in the evening led by Rob Shirakbari as pianist and Musical Director who had previously performed the role for Burt himself. The vocal talent was outstanding with Rob enlisting the services of his wife Rumer in a goddess style long pink chiffon dress. Burt wrote over a thousand songs, thirty five of which were played tonight, although inevitably a few favourites were missed the highlights were stellar.

Rumer sang “The Look of love” perched alongside the piano as if she was in a small Jazz club back room, not the magnificent Symphony hall. Shaun Escoffery, best known for his role as Mufasa in The Lion King smouldered on “Walk on By” . My favourite performance was Jan Varga on The Windows of eh World”.

My only minor gripes were that Ed Richardson’s drums were sometimes too prominent in the mix sounding discordant and that the immaculately presented Woody Mankowski showed up a decidedly scruffy Ed Harcourt.

An outstanding evening of the best, played by the best.

Set 1:

What the World Needs Now Is Love (Overture) (Rob Shirakbari with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra)

Any Day Now / Baby It’s You (Sung by Ed Harcourt)

Don’t Make Me Over (Sung by Georgia Van Etten)

I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself (Sung by Woody Mankowski)

I’ll Never Fall in Love Again (Sung by Jana Varga)

Anyone Who Had a Heart (Sung by Shaun Escoffery)

The Look of Love (Sung by Rumer)

Casino Royale (Instrumental played by Rob Shirakbari with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra)

Message to Michael(Sung by Georgia Van Etten)

(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me (Sung by Ed Harcourt)

Are You There (With Another Girl) (Sung by Jana Varga)

Making Love (Sung by Shaun Escoffery)

In Between the Heartaches (Sung by Woody Mankowski)

You’ll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart) (Sung by Rumer)

Trains and Boats and Planes (Sung by Georgia Van Etten and Jana Varga)

Promises, Promises (Sung by Woody Mankowski)

A House Is Not a Home (Sung by Shaun Escoffery)

One Less Bell to Answer (Sung by Rumer)

Magic Moments (Sung by Woody Mankowski)

What’s New Pussycat? (Sung by Ed Harcourt)

Set 2:

Walk On By (Sung by Shaun Escoffery)

Do You Know the Way to San Jose? (Sung by Jana Varga)

On My Own (Sung by Georgia Van Etten and Woody Mankowski)

God Give Me Strength(Sung by Ed Harcourt)

(They Long to Be) Close to You (Sung by Rumer)

Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) (Sung by Woody Mankowski)

The Windows of the World (Sung by Jana Varga)

Make It Easy on Yourself (Sung by Ed Harcourt)

That’s What Friends Are For (Sung by Georgia Van Etten, Jana Varga, Woody Mankowski and Ed Harcourt)

South American Getaway (Instrumental played by Rob Shirakbari and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra)#

I Say a Little Prayer (Sung by Georgia Van Etten)

This Guy’s in Love With You (Sung by Shaun Escoffery)

Alfie(Sung by Rumer)

What the World Needs Now Is Love (Sung by Rumer and Shaun Escoffery)

Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head