Jon Robyns & Cassie Compton - If I Told You (from The Wedding Singer)

Stream If I Told You here (Twitter)
Buy tickets for The Wedding Singer UK tour here (official site)

There have been some lovely duets emerge from theatre land this year - the type that used to dominate the pop charts before streaming ensured that only songs with the same cookie cutter beat and trend-chasing production values would proliferate the top forty countdown. Almost Paradise (from Footloose) was a delightful, yearning gem; Only Us from new Broadway musical, Dear Evan Hansen, tugged at every string of my heart. And now, Jon Robyns (who dazzled in Legally Blonde at the Curve earlier this year) and Cassie Compton (who devastated as Eponine in Les Miserables) are two fine vocal talents who have joined together to promote their new musical, The Wedding Singer. Their duet, If I Told You, is an instant reminder of why musical theatre is the place to look if you are seeking heartfelt, emotive music. If I Told You isn't just sung - it is lived and breathed in a way that it feels like the personal experiences of the two singers are infused into every note they perform. It is a tale of two people who are scared to share their feelings due to the complexities of life, the fear of opening up, the uncertainty of acceptance or rejection - something surely every listener will have felt and relate to. Jon opens the song, accompanied by a mellifluous piano refrain that seems to wrap around his voice and accentuate the poignant melody of the song. He brings the lyrics to vibrant life, thanks to the sweet, romantic way he sings. The earnest sincerity makes the hope in his voice seem all the more optimistic, the moments of tentative doubt all the more poignant. Cassie is just as adept at imbuing the lyrics with a sense of vulnerability and fragility, her expressive voice seeking out the nuance in every single word. It all coalesces to provide a soul stirring performance that cocoons the listener in an aural hug. Beautifully done - I apologise in advance if I weep copiously when I get to see this at Leicester Curve in February.