Music is back
We’re back! Many months have passed since Sandy Point hosted an evening of music. So excitement was almost tangible on Saturday night.
Folk singer Khristian Mizzi was the first cab off the block to entertain us.
Most of us would have been happy to see anything, more or less, as long as it was live music. But what an unexpected treat was in store. His voice has been – accurately – described as ‘strong and gentle’. Influenced by classic singer-songwriters Cat Stevens, Leonard Cohen and Neil Young, Khristian nonetheless stamped his own identity on each song. He specializes in short stories, the beauty in the everyday, soulful insights into family life and the innocence of childhood. His acoustic guitar playing was precise, smooth and effortlessly melodic, occasionally punctuated by his harmonica. The evening was sprinkled with cover versions. There were classic renditions of ‘Heart of Gold’ and ‘Human Highway’ from Neil Young (Khristian also fronts a Neil Young cover band), the Mamas and the Papas’ ‘California Dreaming’, Cat Stevens ‘Moonshadow’ but also some more obscure choices such as a brilliant interpretation of Don McLean’s early song ‘Castles in the Air’.
But Khristian’s own songs by no means suffered by comparison. In a world where artists can be catapulted to global fame as a teenager, it seems a crying shame that his songs have accumulated relatively little attention to date. But, it did mean we were able to enjoy an evening in the company of this warm and self-deprecating artist in an intimate setting. Khristian was joined on stage by radio veteran, singer, song writer Greg Champion for a few numbers and the duo harmonized to great effect. The evening kicked off with Meg Doherty who delivered a beautiful acoustic set.
As we all helped stack the tables and chairs at the end of a magical evening, we were all reminded of what we’d been missing out on all this time. Thank you to Khristian, Meg and Greg for a very special night.