Words and Strings, with Lior and Jesse Harris, at the Festival Theatre was about the relationship of the songwriter with music, in particular the guitar. The first act, American songwriter and guitarist, Jesse Harris played on a banjo, with percussionist backing. Harris appeared hesitant to speak to the audience and did so rarely. Instead the quite introverted but passionate performance was left to speak for itself. He is most famous for his work sung by other people and his songs are rich musically and can be catchy and beautiful. His most famous song is Norah Jones’ ‘Don’t Know Why’ and it was interesting to hear it from the songwriter’s mouth.

After intermission, the String Quartet provided the perfect backdrop to Lior’s melodic, intense music. Contrasting to the introverted Harris, Lior, though intense in song, was warm and engaging on stage. Despite playing the giant Festival Theatre, he was as intimate and relaxed in conversation as if in a lounge room. His charming stories and insights into each song made his performance more personal and moving. A particularly moving story about the inspiration behind his song ‘Sonja’, followed by the song itself moved the girl next to me to tears. Lior’s talent and songwriting ability cannot be understated, in particular live. If you haven’t seen him yet, you are missing out.