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Paul Potts performs on stage, with his image displayed on a large screen at the Wellness Seoul Concert held at Sebitseom Banpo Hangang Park, Seoul, Sunday. (Hwang Joo-young/The Korea Herald) |
Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Banpo Bridge’s fountains cascading over the Han River, Wellness Seoul 2024 concluded on Sunday evening with performances by an orchestra, popera singers and a guitarist -- all delivering a message of embracing a quality, healthy life through the appreciation of music in everyday life.
The highlight of the evening event -- the namesake Wellness Seoul Concert -- was British popera singer Paul Potts, who performed pieces including “Impossible Dream,” “Granada,” and “Parla Piu Piano.” Potts explained that he chose these familiar pieces in order to resonate and connect with the audience. This performance marked his second visit to Korea this year.
Speaking on the theme of Wellness Seoul 2024, Potts commented, "Wellness isn’t just about physical health; it’s also about mental well-being. Music helps people connect with their emotions, lift their spirits, and empathize with others. That’s something I hope everyone can experience tonight."
At the audience's request for an encore, Potts delivered “Nessun Dorma,” the aria that launched his career on Britain’s Got Talent in 2007.
Despite the environmental challenges of the open-air setting along the Han River -- in which singers often struggle to project their voices -- Potts took it in stride. "Every stage has its challenging elements," he said. "However, I believe the charm of the Han River helped mitigate any difficulties." He added with a laugh, “It’s fantastic to perform at such an incredible event. I’m just glad I wasn’t standing under the fountains -- I'd be clumsy enough to be accidentally standing underneath it!”
Potts wasn’t the only artist supported by the Mostly Philharmonic Orchestra. The 50-member ensemble, led by conductor Park Sang-hyun, accompanied all performances, providing a rich musical foundation for the concert, including their own featured pieces like the “William Tell Overture” and music from “Cinema Paradiso.”
Another highlight came from soprano Kim So-hyun and her husband, musical actor Son Jun-ho. Kim performed “I Could Have Danced All Night” while Son sang “She.” The married couple also performed a duet of a Korean folk-blues piece, dedicated to the crisp autumn breeze of October.
Also, soprano Hanna Lee and tenor Ryu Jeong-pil added to the night’s lineup. Lee performed “La Vie en Rose” and “Hymne A L’amour,” while Ryu sang “Quizas, Quizas, Quizas” and a unique medley of traditional Korean songs, encouraging engagement from the audience.
“For me, wellness is about living a balanced life," Ryu said. "This balance extends to my idea of musical wellness as well. Nowadays, people listen to a lot of foreign music, but it's equally important to maintain a connection with local music. That’s why I chose to include these Korean pieces tonight.”
Ryu’s medley featured a selection of folk songs from different regions of Korea, starting with “Shingosan Taryeong” from North Korea’s Hamgyong Province and ending with “Miryang Arirang” from Gyeongsang Province in South Korea, offering the audience a musical journey across the peninsula.
Guitarist Jang Ha-eun and the four-member vocal group Uangel Voice also performed. In particular, Jang’s rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” inspired by Spanish flamenco styles, was met with enthusiastic applause and calls for an encore.
“Some people think wellness is just about eating well and getting enough sleep,” Jang said. “But through this concert, I hope the audience could experience a deeper sense of wellness through music, more easily connecting to its beauty with the familiar pieces we performed.”
The Wellness Seoul Concert, as the grand finale of Wellness Seoul 2024, lasted over two hours on Sunday evening at Sebitseom Banpo Hangang Park, drawing hundreds of attendees. The event was hosted by Han Ariell, winner of the 2024 Miss Universe Korea Herald.
