Outdoor concerts turn people into pagans. As the evening of the Il Divo concert at Kedleston Hall approached we were offering all sorts of promises to the weather gods for a fine night after an afternoon of worrying drizzle. Prayers were answered. However, before the "awesome foursome" took the stage, the picnic munching crowd were treated to a superb support performance by New Zealand's teenage sensation Hayley Westenra.
 | | Hayley Westenra |
With a voice like crystal starlight she was accompanied by the simplicity of a keyboard player and single violinist. Singing in both English and Maori, my only fault with her set was that it was too short! She oozed a word we don’t get to use too often, grace. A 40 minute wait for Il Divo followed, punctuated by some enthusiastic whooping by the core fans eagerly positioned at front of stage. It is fair to say that Il Divo have attracted a passionate following and many of those are ladies of a "certain age". And judging the effect Il Divo seem to have they could easily be dubbed HRT in suits! For those who don’t know, Il Divo are the brainchild of Simon Cowell, he of X-Factor and high waisted trousers fame. The English-constructed band with an Italian name is made up of a Spaniard, an American, a French man and a Swiss man. And in the tradition of manufactured groups, Cowell has been astute enough to cover all bases. In Carlos we have Sultry Divo, the dark, cheeky Spaniard who brings out the Shirley Valentine in the crowd. Sebastian is Suave Divo, the Frenchman who wears the suits with panache and oozes Gaelic flair. David is Boy Next Door Divo, the American all-rounder who is crying out to be taken home to meet the parents. And Urs, is Rock Divo, the Swiss guy with tumbling locks who'd whisk you away on the back of a Harley. Or perhaps I have put to much thought into that…. But do not let the 'manufactured' label taint your perception. Each member has an impeccable and often envious past in Classical and musical theatre. Their choice to take part in this classical crossover may have met with consternation from the traditional classical world and indifference from the world of pop – well bah humbug to them! It is a formulae that has obviously filled a gap in the market as ably proved by a healthy crowd at Kedleston. A mixture of reworked modern songs such as Mariah Carey's Hero and Unchained Melody alongside arrangements of older songs and 'semi-classics' provided a comfortable setlist. Having already seen Il Divo earlier this year at Birmingham NEC, the show was, in terms of set, a simplified version of the highly staged Arena show. But, given the natural setting of Kedleston the fancy lights were not missed and could not have competed with the setting sun anyhow. The group certainly had a rapport with the crowd, not least of all Carlos who has taken to heart his 'role' as cheeky chappy, engineering hollers from the crowd with his winks and suggestions. I did feel, having seen them before, it was shame quite so much of the linking speech between songs was script I'd heard before but given this is their first major tour it is understandable that the safety net of the familiar is practised. David in particular has the confidence of the ad lib and I suspect as Il Divo continue to grow into this genre which has become their own, so too will their entire performance. The group were given a rousing send off and once again Kedleston showed itself to a perfect setting for a lazy Sunday evening of friendship, fun and music. Let's hope for another set of musical treats on our doorstep in 2007! | 
