And the same with jazz or my own material though I’m respectful of genre - I’m not tossing it off. “When I sing classical, I still sing like Rufus Wainwright. “If anything, (this album) proves my voice has a strange, multi-faceted ability where it can morph into all these different areas but maintain its identity,” Wainwright said. As a singer, he makes himself at home wherever he goes, without ever losing the idiosyncratic qualities that make him Rufus. Uniting the various styles is Wainwright’s distinct voice, remarkable for its range, power and technical prowess, yet altogether unconventional. “I think - look, I wouldn’t say it’s a genius move, but in retrospect it’s a very solid proposition.” “I just felt this need to (showcase) the wide variety of material I’ve covered over the years, and have it all on record, all framed in a similar wood, shall we say, with a string section. “It’s a real potpourri of material,” Wainwright said. Try refreshing your browser, or tap here to see other videos from our team. Rufus Wainwright and Amsterdam Sinfonietta Live is the document of that meeting, providing fresh perspective on the singer-songwriter’s broad musical range, as he covers everyone from Irving Berlin to Leonard Cohen, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Hector Berlioz, Joni Mitchell and Lhasa de Sela, interspersed with an array of his own tunes. When I arrived and we started running through the songs with the orchestra, I was dumbstruck by how great the whole situation was - the musicians and the arrangements.” I had never heard of them, but I trusted my agent and went in and we put together a set. “At one point an offer came in to work with an orchestra, the Amsterdam Sinfonietta. He always got me really interesting shows, and I have to say, he was a bit of a mobster as well - he could be really tough and scary, which is appreciated in an agent. “Sadly, he passed from cancer (later in 2017). “I had this amazing agent for years, David Chumbley, who was my first European agent,” Wainwright said. The collaboration came about serendipitously. The shows found Wainwright revisiting his own repertoire and some of his favourite songs from across the musical spectrum. Speaking of concerts, his new album was inspired by a 2017 mini-tour of the Netherlands with string ensemble the Amsterdam Sinfonietta. Perhaps he was inspired by Martha, who has been living here again for the past few years, even opening her own Mile End café and music venue, Ursa, where Rufus has participated in a few hot-ticket fundraising concerts. And while he won’t be getting up here all the time, we should be seeing more of him. Wainwright is renting a room in an apartment belonging to some friends. And certainly, taking a break from the U.S. My aunts are getting up there, I want to come see them more. I gave up Manhattan, and I felt OK about it. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.