>Now confirmed on both Russell’s Official Facebook page and his Official Site (Events).
Russell performed two concerts at Bunkamura Orchard Hall, Tokyo,
Ahead of the concert Russell made a radio and a TV broadcast, neither of which were available to us in the UK but he was on 76.1 InterFM’s ‘LHR’ (London Hit Radio) show and they have posted 3 pictures on their Facebook ‘Guest Archive’ with the same three pictures plus several more on their website blog archive…
The radio interview has since been put on YouTube with a slideshow of pictures… thanks to ‘aloha1213’.
He was on WOWOW TV, sporting some facial hair again. He sang Nessun Dorma and a little ‘Meatloaf’, apparently, as well as talking about the new Manchester United player, Shinji Kagawa, from Japan.
He attended a ‘get-together’ on the afternoon of the 20th with DJ Lucy Kent and 30 lucky fans whose names were selected from applications submitted to the promoter. Apparently he treated them to a song he only learned a week or so ago, Aprile by Francesco Paolo Tosti.
:: Update 15th December 2012
:: Here’s a brief video of Russell entering the get-together and beginning to sing Aprile:: End of update::
Here’s a full version of that song by Luciano Pavarotti….
We should very much like to hear Russell singing that in full.
Addendum : December 2014 :
Our wish came true. Russell has sung Aprile several times since Tokyo and added it as an encore on his recent ‘Candlelight Christmas’ Tour. At Liverpool and Blackburn Cathedrals he sang it while not using the sound system, just using the natural acoustics of the building… lovely.
End of update.
Russell greets the fans at the a-m-a ‘get-together’…
The official web page of the concerts’ promoter, a-m-a Japan, has been updated to include the play-lists for both evenings and a description of the ‘get together’ along with a couple of pictures.
Those tempted to click where it says “English” will be disappointed to be returned to the original (pre-update) page. To see a rough translation, click here for Microsoft’s Bing page.
To see the pictures in a large format slideshow, click either of the two thumbnails in the text and then scroll as if you were in a Facebook photo album (left or right of centre to navigate, though there are no ‘pointers’ to indicate this).
Jelinda Photography posted a picture of Russell at the get together via instagram…
and several more on their Twitter account @jelinda_photo
There are also three excellent pictures on the ‘blog’ of “ifg sister“, two showing Russell with ‘Sir Bill’ at the piano… but scroll down to the fourth picture! A couple more pictures have been added to a ‘supplement‘ to that blog.
::Update 11th December 2012
::Russell launched his new website on Monday 10th December and has included around a _dozen pictures of his own from Japan in the Gallery. :: End of update::
First Night ‘Set List’ (thanks to “Try To Be Happy” blog)
‘O Sole Mio
Intermezzo
Panis Angelicus
E Sara Cosi
Caruso
You’ll Never Walk Alone
+
Granada
Volare
Funiculi Funicula
A Vuchella
Nessun Dorma
+
encore
+
Aprile
You Raise Me Up
We Are The Champions
Local operatic quintet ‘Le Velvets‘ were Russell’s ‘friendly guests’.
(See inset picture on the poster above)
Second night ‘Set List’ (thanks to “ifgsister’s” blog)
‘O Sole Mio
Intermezzo
Panis Angelicus
E Sara Cosi
Caruso
Music of the Night
+
Torna A Surriento
Volare
Funiculi Funicula
~
Time To Say Goodbye (Le Velvets)
Road To Victory (Le Velvets)
Double Trouble (Le Velvets)
~
‘A Vucchella
You’ll Never Walk Alone
Nessun Dorma
+
encore
+
Aprile
You Raise Me Up
We Are The Champions
Core ‘ngrato : with Sir Bill’s piano obligato and NO MICROPHONE!
The last one seems to have ‘nailed it’ and Russell received lengthy ‘thunderous applause’.
Afterwards, Russell Tweeted, “ Thank you for all your messages ! I’ve had a fantastic time in Tokyo and two nights at Orchard hall to top it all . See you next year : ) x ” and then, “ Back from Japan , had a great trip and looking at heading back around the same time next year . Will keep you posted : ) “
__________________________________
Musical Director – William (Sir Bill) Hayward. (See Ginga Aoyama Enterprise page)
Doors open : 6.15pm
Concert begins : 7.00pm
Information – here
Tickets – here (from Koyodo Tokyo Inc)
Russell’s regular Musical Director, Robert Emery, was advertised as accompanying him at these venues but it has now been announced that he has other commitments; he is in Bern up to and including 21st October, so that doesn’t allow time to get over to Tokyo to prepare and rehearse the orchestra.
William Hayward (‘Sir’ Bill as Russell usually calls him) makes a welcome return to the podium.
Promoter: Aoyama Music Associates
_______________________________________________________________
Press
Russellers 