In the ambient surroundings of the much-loved Star and Shadow (Warwick Street, Newcastle) William Jack played a cello acoustic set.
He was billed as playing the cello “like it’s never been played before”, and it was certainly not like I’d ever seen or heard a cello played.
Starting with a beautiful Bach piece, he then turned the cello on its side and played it like a guitar – “cello picking,” he called it.
The side grooves of the instrument were just made for fitting over your knee, he said, settling into a set of mixed music from classical to Bob Dylan and much in between, placing the cello upright or on its side according to what he was playing.
Occasionally he sang in a melodic accompanying voice.
There was an intensity to Jack’s playing, which kept the audience spell-bound, but which he interspersed with a low-key but lively and humorous dialogue.
Though London-based, we learnt that he hailed from Adelaide, in South Australia, and had found his way to classical training in Vienna for two years.
His ‘cello picking’ was not greatly appreciated there, apparently, and he was constantly told to put the instrument the right way up!
He persevered, however, in forging his own cello pathway.
Jack has played all over the world, been featured on BBC Radio 3, and in 2025 won best music award at the Adelaide Fringe.
If you can catch him anywhere – don’t miss the chance!
He’s off to Ireland and then Germany in the coming days but you can keep track of his whereabout via his William Jack website.