The first musical piece that Iris Long played with the live band was a tango. It was a piece that she was familiar with but only played a few times in the past. That wasn't an issue for her, though. She only glanced at the musical sheet and all the notes came back to her like a good friend that she hadn't seen for a long time.
Even before starting to play, her posture and aura already commanded everyone's attention. There was pin-drop silence. She revelled in the brief moment while adjusting her state of mind.
Then her fingers began moving over the piano keys. The opening notes were full, dramatic and electrifying.
Instead of trying to match the other musician's level of playing, she played with subtle dominance to lead them, subconsciously encouraging them to increase their level to match hers. Even the conductor couldn't help but be affected and follow her tempo. It was already too late when he realized what was happening. The leader had changed without the other musicians noticing it.
There was smooth sharpness and electrifying pulsations in Iris' version of tango. It was romantic, intense and passionate.
Jin Liwei watched his wife losing herself in the music. She was at bliss, clearly in her element. He was happy for her, proud of her. But there was also a possessive part of him that didn't want to share her gloriousness with so many people. If only he was the only one who could enjoy her magnificence.
It took a bit of an effort for him to calm himself and stabilize his thoughts. He knew that his wife loved performing in front of an audience. It had been a long time since she performed like this. As a husband, he could only support her and never hinder her passion for performing music.
The other guests were visibly in awe of the impromptu performance. Many of them even thought that this was part of tonight's planned programme and that Iris Long had rehearsed with the other musicians beforehand.
Those who had more knowledge in music, however, could detect that the other musicians weren't on par with Iris Long's level. They could sense the other musicians struggling to match up to her.
Fortunately, she wasn't a merciless leader. She was able to slow down, wait for them a bit, and not run away and steal the show all by herself. All in all, her top-notch skills were capable of pulling other musicians who had inferior skills than her.
"Amazing," one of the audience murmured.
"I don't really like Iris Long but I must say that her musical talent is no joke," another commented.
Nobody danced this time. Everyone was too absorbed in the musical performance to remember dancing.
The tango finished. There was a moment of silence as everyone still reeled at the performance. Then Jin Liwei's strong, stable claps and Yu Mo's enthusiastic cheers interrupted the other people's daze. They all started clapping as well. The applause soon grew louder.
Before everyone got carried away, Iris pressed her forefinger on her lips. Everyone fell silent.
Then she led the next piece—waltz.
This time, it was more emotional, enchanting…and magical.
Encouraged by the applause just now, the conductor and the other musicians felt more confident. They played much more smoothly. The harmony between them and Iris become smoother. Of course, Iris wasn't satisfied with mediocrity in anything she did.
She gradually kept on infusing more of her personal touches in the performance and continued subtly encouraging her fellow musicians to step it up a little bit each time to keep up with her.
Many of the listeners closed their eyes to enjoy the music. This was no longer a simple party. It had become a musical concert starring Iris Long.
The last piece she played was a mambo. It was upbeat and demanded top-notch syncopation between all the instruments in order to sound smooth. The piano was the melody-maker and wasn't upstaged at all by the louder brass and percussion instruments.
This time, the other guests couldn't stop themselves anymore. The catchy beat and melody were too much to resist. Some of them slid to the dancefloor and started dancing to the mambo music.
Then everyone was surprised when Iris began singing in Spanish. Even the other musicians weren't expecting it. In fact, they didn't prepare any vocal elements in most of the pieces in tonight's performance, including this mambo piece.
The soprano singer hired to perform with them later in a handful of musical pieces hadn't arrived yet. She was said to be paid by the hour so didn't need to be present in the venue until it was time for her actual performance.
Fortunately, the other musicians were professional enough not to allow their shock to paralyze their playing. They quickly recovered. Iris' unexpected and thrilling performance swept them into a zone, causing them to enjoy themselves as well.
"Olé!"
Iris threw her hands and head up in the air when the mambo finally ended.
As usual, Jin Liwei and Yu Mo led the applause again.
"Brava!!!" René Alejandro praised out loud and even whistled.
Iris beamed amidst the standing ovation. She didn't forget about her temporary teammates and made sure to acknowledge their hard work for doing their best to keep up with her. She gave them a curtsey bow and shared the applause to them. The musicians were touched.
All of them, including Iris, lined up on the stage and bowed together to the audience.
Jin Liwei fetched his wife and carefully escorted her down the stage. He noticed that she was breathing a little harder and sweat glistened on her forehead but the big smile on her face restrained his worry for her. It seemed that she had been too absorbed in her performance to allow the sweaty odours from the other musicians to bother her.
The applause followed the husband and wife as they walked together to their own table. Yu Mo welcomed them.
Soon after, René Alejandro came to join them. He couldn't stop praising Iris' performance.
"Thank you," she replied with a smile. "Happy Birthday!"
"This is definitely one of the best birthdays that I've ever had! Iris, you are definitely on par with international musicians! No, maybe even better than many of them, yes? Cheers, my sister!"
