Well perhaps I should qualify that statement.
There are of course choirs, brass bands, orchestras, ballets, operas and thespians but in this instance, by performers, I mean those with instruments, different musical instruments.
The Official Tour brochure has a cover photograph of 12 members of the band.
From our great seats, three rows from the front at York Barbican and just below eye level with the stage I counted 11 although the dozen many have been completed by someone obscured by the Steinway Grand Piano, an expansive drum kit or the sound system.
It was my first introduction to Pink Martini.
First response may be "Pink what?", "Martini Who?" .
There may be some justification in this because as bands go, Pink Martini are pretty niche but this is intentional as even they refer to themselves as an unlikely musical and entertainment phenomenon.
I have known about them for 10 years from family friends who have travelled the country attending gigs and functions. They gave me the first Pink Martini album on CD as a Christmas present and it played on random loop in my car for a few weeks making many previously tedious journeys in the course of my work so much shorter.
I could not believe that the CD dated from 1997 and that the reason for the 2016 Tour was to celebrate their 21st Anniversary.
The members of Pink Martini are a real United Nations of Professionals. The line up on stage included a Greek trombonist, Bulgarian Trumpeter, Cuban percussionist and a nucleus of founding US Citizens of diverse cultural origins.
These traits are reflected in music and lyrics drawn from Europe, Africa, the Americas, the Middle East and delivered in faultlessly authentic language and tone. There are classical influences and references to popular music from chart toppers, jazz standards, big band sound, love songs and traditional ballads but never far from the surface of whatever genre are the toe tapping, heart stirring Salsa rhythms that drive and motivate the band.
The York crowd were made up of dedicated and informed followers but most will have been ,like me, first timers drawn in by the relentless recommendation of friends, after hearing snippets of the best known songs heard on the radio or discovered even by accident on that huge resource that is You Tube.
That first CD, Sympathique launched on the bands own label , brought Pink Martini critical acclaim and success in Europe. Their reputation for lively, infectious on stage performances really strengthened a loyal fan base.
Hang on Little Tomato was released in 2004 after three years in the preparation and featured mostly songs in foreign languages seen as more evocative and beautiful to portray emotions and situations, French, Portuguese, Italian, Russian and Arabic amongst the most expressive.
To date Pink Martini are up to eight albums, self written, collaborative, conceptual and compilation but they not forgotten or relegated the importance of getting out there and performing to audiences worldwide.
If you want an immediate introduction to the style of Pink Martini you should try to find, from that first album, their unique rendition of the 1945 Fisher and Roberts song, "Amado Mio".
They opened their York concert with it and I felt immediately in a wonderfully happy place.
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