Brighter Shades of Pale

Paul Taylor in the Manchester Evening News - 18 June 2001

BRIGHTER SHADES OF PALE: Procol Harum - Bridgewater Hall

As the white tuxedos of the orchestra stood stiffly to attention, Procol Harum guitarist Geoff Whitehorn ambled on in rockers' regulation black tee shirt, tossed back his Spinal Tap-style coiffure and hoisted a thumb aloft.

The reality may be that rock stars these days live on carrot juice and early nights while the orchestral dickie bow may disguise a rampant beer monster. But there is still a delicious incongruity when rock meets classical.

At least there is when the history of classical rock is littered with the likes of Deep Purple's ego-tripping Concerto for Group and Orchestra, John Williams's banal, blokeish Sky project and Yes's impenetrable twaddle.

Procol Harum are different. Their career blossomed out of Bach with A Whiter Shade of Pale, and pianist, singer and prime mover Gary Brooker has always worked with the widest possible musical palette and more than the pop ration of three chords. Not only do Procol Harum's songs not sound self-indulgent in orchestral settings, they sound gloriously right. Though, unexpectedly, it was A Whiter Shade of Pale which perhaps made least use of the Hallé Orchestra.

It could have seemed an over grand affair but Brooker's gruff yet chummy Southend tones between each song brought things down to earth. This was not the ghost of progressive rock returning to haunt us. It was that rarest of occasions when rock and classical coupled to produce an offspring you could really love.