Tender Is The Night with Simone & Girlfunkle

What happens when you take emerging artists from the most isolated city in the world and pair them with local composers and a string quartet to reimagine their songs in the height of a global pandemic? Enter Perth’s latest innovative experience, Tender is the Night. Birthed by local multi-disciplinary artist and stalwart of the Perth music industry, Leigh Gardiner, in collaboration with creative consultant and composer, Rebecca Erin Smith, Tender is the Night is a series of performances that bridge and blur the lines of classical and contemporary music. Gardiner had been brewing over the idea of synchronising support for his composer and musician friends for some time, but it wasn’t until the initial COVID lockdowns of 2020 hit that it was finally put into motion. In September 2020, the inaugural Tender is the Night event took place in a suburban backyard to a private audience of friends and family in a relaxed picnic setting. One year on, with the support of the City of Melville and a generous grant from the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries under its belt, the event is thrilled to announce the imminent arrival of its first ever public edition of Tender is the Night.

Taking place on Sunday 12 September, the spring instalment will feature ​​the gorgeous three-part harmonies of Simone & Girlfunkle with support from returning Tender is the Night artist Tanaya Harper, both accompanied by the Tender Strings quartet. Made up of experienced professional violin, viola and cello players from the West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO), Perth Symphony Orchestra (PSO) and various other ensembles, the Tender Strings quartet will ​​perform reimagined arrangements of Simone & Girlfunkle songs to a live audience at Perth’s Melville Main Hall, welcoming the start of a new chapter in the Tender is the Night journey. Thanks to The City of Melville, Tender is the Night is thrilled to not only launch the first of many public events, but to also welcome the Melville Main Hall as their permanent home for the next 12 months.

Previous Tender is the Night events have featured the likes of Sean Gorman (Salary), Jane Azzopardi (Calmly) and Michael Savage along with Alexis Naylor and Leigh Gardiner’s own act, Chuditch, and have ranged from backyard affairs to community hall gatherings. Inaugural Tender is the Night headliner, Tanaya Harper performed a mesmerising performance that solidified Leigh’s concept was worth pursuing. Signposting precisely what the event is all about, Tanaya kept her instrumentation to a minimum with just her voice, guitar and drums on certain songs, allowing the Tender Strings quartet the space to lead melodies and shine, unlike many shows that simply tack them on for goosebump effects or inflated ticket prices. Tanaya recalls her first performance as one for the history books, “TITN is my career highlight to date. I never expected to have the honour of playing my songs with a string quartet during a beautiful Perth sunset. The crowd were the perfect kind, the vibe was very down to earth, and the hosts Leigh, Ruby and Rohan cultivated such a warm and welcoming atmosphere.”

Composer and Tender is the Night performer Erin Gordon, praised the same event for providing a rare opportunity to collaborate with emerging local musicians and create original contemporary string arrangements for their songs. “Through my involvement in ‘Tender is the Night’, I have developed and fostered networks with other local artists, instrumentalists and composers. The project has provided me with a rich, ongoing source of work that has supported my artistic and creative development. It has provided me with a platform to have my original compositions heard by new and diverse audiences, both locally and around the world.”

Tender is the Night - Simone & Girlfunkle with Tanaya Harper

BYO food, drinks, rugs and cushions encouraged.