A QUIET BENEDICTION
FROM A MASTER SONGWRITER
Paul Simon is not done speaking softly. At a time when much live music clamors for attention, his recent performance felt like a whispered benediction—one that asked the audience to lean in, listen closely, and reflect. The evening, A Quiet Celebration, was structured in two halves: the first devoted to a complete live performance of his 2023 song cycle Seven Psalms, the second a curated journey through selected highlights and hidden gems from his vast songbook.
Simon, now in his early eighties, appeared at Wolf Trap in a relaxed suit and t-shirt for the first set, underscoring the introspective mood of Seven Psalms. Written during early morning hours in a kind of spiritual haze, the piece is a 33-minute, seven-movement suite intended to be heard as a single, uninterrupted arc. That’s exactly how it was performed—no applause between movements, no stage banter, only the soft shimmer of acoustic guitar, the gentle pull of harmony, and the steady presence of Simon’s voice.
He was joined by his longtime collaborator—and wife—Edie Brickell, whose contributions to “The Sacred Harp” and “Wait” lent warmth and intimacy to the performance. The suite began with “The Lord” and moved seamlessly through reflections on mortality, forgiveness, and faith. The fragility in Simon’s aging voice, rather than diminishing the experience, deepened it.
Living up to the name of the tour, Simon and his ten-piece ensemble were subdued, but never lacking in emotional power or technical finesse. These were not performances designed to dazzle, but to stir and to resonate—music not for the moment, but for the soul.
After a brief intermission, Simon returned in jeans, jacket, t-shirt, and baseball cap, shifting the tone toward more familiar terrain. The second set featured beloved classics such as “Graceland,” “Slip Slidin’ Away,” and “Train in the Distance,” as well as deeper cuts like “The Late Great Johnny Ace,” “St. Judy’s Comet,” and “Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War.” Before “Homeward Bound,” Simon gently teased the audience with short instrumental nods to “I Am a Rock” and “Mrs. Robinson,” prompting smiles and recognition before settling into the more meditative material.
Brickell returned to duet on “Under African Skies” and a buoyant “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard.” Still, even at its most spirited, the performance carried the echo of the evening’s solemn beginning. The first encore opened with a playful “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” followed by a stripped-down and reverent rendition of “The Boxer.” At Simon’s gentle encouragement, the audience joined in on the familiar “lie-la-lie” refrains, their voices filling the theater in a moment of unity and tenderness. Then came one of the evening’s most moving moments: a solo acoustic attempt at “Old Friends,” performed for the first time in over two decades. Twice Simon began the song, only to stop with a frog in his throat. The audience, far from restless, offered patient encouragement and affectionate applause. It was a moment of quiet humanity—unrehearsed, imperfect, and deeply genuine.
Finally, he closed the night with “The Sound of Silence,” sung alone on stage in near-total darkness. With just his voice and guitar, Simon offered not just a performance, but a farewell of sorts—unofficial, understated, and unforgettable.
If you haven’t spent time with Seven Psalms, I suggest you do. Don’t just sample it—let it play straight through, uninterrupted. Whether you’re walking, resting, or reflecting, it offers something rare: music as meditation, poetry as prayer.
In his first tour since COVID, Paul Simon couldn’t have put on a better show. It had a heavenly feel throughout, from the 33-minute performance of Seven Psalms with its chamber music intimacy, to the folk-rock richness of the second set. At one point, four guitars and a dozen musicians shared the stage. You might expect such a large ensemble to overwhelm Simon’s story-teller voice—but the opposite happened. Each player performed with such musicality and sensitivity that the sound was perfectly balanced, every note in service of the song.
Throughout both sets—the sacred first and the nostalgic second—Simon conducted his band like an artist painting a picture. Each graceful movement of his hand cued an entrance or closed a phrase. With subtlety, depth, and masterful control, Paul Simon offered an evening of quiet celebration: not a retrospective, but a living portrait of an artist still in communion with his music, and with us.
photos by Karl Magnuson for Wolf Trap
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna, VA on June 4, 2025
Paul Simon’s Seven Psalms Tour
Wolf Trap, Filene Center
reviewed on June 6, 2025
tour continues; for dates and cities, visit Paul Simon
