As part of legendary prog rock band Yes, Rick Wakeman saw some pretty wild gigs in his time — but perhaps none quite as untamed as his most recent concert. The 77-year-old musician flew out to Vietnam earlier this week for a special performance Thursday in front of more than 150 rescued bears. Wakeman played the grand piano in an enclosure at a bear sanctuary run by the charity Animals Asia, about 35 miles (56 kilometres) north of the capital, Hanoi. The animals, many of which have been saved from the country’s bear bile industry, appeared to listen intently as he played to them. Posting on Facebook about the event, Wakeman said: “We’re here really to celebrate the rescued bears, to celebrate those that have been rehabilitated, rescued, looked after and saved in this wonderful sanctuary. It’s also a reminder that there are still a lot of bears that are in captivity that need to be saved.” Wakeman performed two new pieces about some of the rescued bears at the event, according to a statement sent to CNN by the charity. He wrote the pieces, entitled “Dawn Reborn” and “Moon,” for rescued moon bears Dawn and Moon. “I feel immensely honoured to have played here in this beautiful setting to these incredible bears today,” Wakeman, who has been “guardian” to Moon since 2016, said in the statement. As he played, 11 of the animals gathered closer to listen, according to the charity. “It is honestly the most extraordinary concert of my life. I was looking at the bears the whole time, I almost forgot what I was playing,” Wakeman said. “It was like I was in a bubble — just me and the bears. I mean I’ll never in my life get to play a concert to such a well-behaved audience. They were brilliant.” “There were two bears in particular who came right up to the edge and I deliberately played around with the music a little bit as there were definitely certain things that they reacted to more than others. Obviously, we know music affects humans so I now know it affects bears too.” Situated in the valley of Tam Dao National Park, the 11-hectare sanctuary is home to around 200 sun and moon bears rescued from the bile industry, according to the charity’s website. The organization also runs another sanctuary in Vietnam, as well as one in Chengdu, China. Although the practice has been illegal since 2005, bears are still being kept in captivity in Vietnam in order to extract their bile, a gold-coloured liquid secreted by the liver, which is then used in traditional medicines. Animals Asia has long campaigned against what it argues is a cruel and unsustainable practice that is being driven by ongoing demand for the bile, gaps in enforcement and “the deeply held belief that bear bile is the most effective medicine for certain health issues.” Animals Asia founder Jill Robinson described Wakeman’s concert as “magical,” adding: “To see these beautiful bears, who’ve known such pain and suffering, experience music played for them in the most special of settings, was such a privilege. This has been a wonderful celebration of hope and of gratitude to all the bears. But it’s also a heartfelt promise to help the remaining bears who are left behind.” She said it was “especially fitting” that one of the pieces was dedicated to Dawn, as music had been a “valuable part of her recovery.” Robinson added: “She (Dawn) was one of the most broken bears we have ever seen, but thanks to a carefully designed programme of care, including calm, low level music, she is now a beautiful, carefree bear enjoying the safety and peace of our sanctuary.”
