Night fell over Seville like a whisper, and the Fibes Auditorium waited in the darkness, almost holding its breath. Under the faint light of hundreds of fake candles, Il Divo reappeared in the city with its new stage adventure “Closer”: a project that seeks, more … than a concert, a sensory experience. And boy did they succeed. Three days into the tour, the mild nervousness of the first few times was still in the air. At nine o’clock, the silence became expectant as a string trio and a pianist took their seats. As soon as the lights went out completely, a warm applause ran through the room. But nothing compared to the roar that erupted when the four figures of the group took the stage. Without preambles, without artifice: “Caruso” passed with one voice, then two, then three, until the final embrace of four, this harmonic explosion which gave goosebumps to the collective and set the tone for the night.
The audience barely had time to catch their breath before “Passerà”, celebrated with applause rewarding each solo. The smiles of the performers, sincere and luminous, spread like an echo. Then the quartet – David Miller, Sébastien Izambard, Urs Bühler and Steven LaBrie – took the floor. “Thank you very much, welcome everyone. This evening we invite you to experience a journey with us, a very intimate and personal journey. What a joy to have you here. Get ready for a show full of songs that unite us. A closer experience, without screens. It’s a pleasure to be here. We are approaching Christmas and we have changed the repertoire to include more Christmas songs,” they announced to an already capitulated audience.
And although what followed was not a Christmas carol, it had the spiritual weight of one: an “Ave Maria” performed with almost sacred solemnity. “And now we’re going to change things up… we’re going to get more personal,” they explained before starting the solo portion. The first was David Miller, who put aside his bow tie, his jacket and his rigidities. He admitted that after twelve years without finishing his solo project, he wanted to return to the roots of the path that led him to sing. He chose “Pity the Child”, from the musical Chess: intense, dramatic music, different from the tone of the previous repertoire. It didn’t matter. His followers followed him with devotion, some even standing.
After a joint comeback with “Mama,” came another most intimate moment: “Let’s make this more intimate,” they said, sitting at the edge of the stage to perform “Everytime I Look at You.” From there, they greeted the front rows, took photos, signed flags, albums and even cell phones. The artist-audience barrier has been completely dissolved. Returning to the usual scenography, “O Holy Night” found an improvised sky: a sea of lanterns that transformed Fibes into a pulsating constellation.
Then it was Steven LaBrie’s turn, the last to appear alone. He chose “Qué sad,” a song that connects as much to his beginnings as to his native Mexico. The audience’s reaction was unanimous: once again, a standing ovation. The journey continued with the classic “Por una Cabeza”, then “White Christmas” and an instrumental interlude of “Historia de un amor”, which the audience accompanied with a shy refrain This is the moment when the members reappear with burgundy touches on their black costumes, finally differentiating themselves from each other as if each were claiming their identity in this new stage.
In the middle of the night “Abrázame” arrived, then Sébastien Izambard’s solo. Blushing, he admits, “Sorry for my bad Spanish…I need a teacher.” I come from pop music and no one taught me it. Thanks to my colleagues I learned a lot“. He chose “Purple Rain,” complete with guitar and an audience ready to sing along to every verse. It was one of those moments where Fibes seemed to shrink into a small, intimate bar.
The group returned for “Hallelujah”, one of the most applauded, and followed with “Silent Night”, which enveloped the room in a Christmas spirit delicate and luminous. The last solo is that of Urs Bühler, who presents the piece with tenderness: “It’s very romantic and very simple. He is a very loving man… I have known her since I started singing classical and she always makes me smile. The elegance of “Ombra Mai Fu” floated over the auditorium like an ancient caress.
From there, the finale unleashed: “Nella Fantasia”, then “Adagio”, which once again lifted the audience between bars which, for a moment, even bordered on flamenco. The wish that the night would not end became audible. “You have been a wonderful audience. I hope this evening was as special for you as it was for us. The memories we create today will last forever. Thank you for having a good night,” they announced before the final stretch.
Then came “My Way”, which triggered the final ovation. The farewell idea caused a unanimous outcry: they wanted another one. And they had it: “Come back to me.” » “Thank you very much, Seville. No one in the world claps like you“, they proclaimed. The final touch was “Adeste Fideles”, described by them as “the most beautiful Christmas song in existence”. After 24 years of career, Il Divo demonstrated in Seville that it continues to have inexhaustible power: to bring together a loyal audience and create evenings that resonate not only with the ears, but with the soul. An intimate, luminous and delicately festive evening, like a candle that never goes out.