Paul Simon chose the Symphony Center to host his three-night stand in Chicago last week. The Center is the home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which is currently performing in Wrocław, Poland.

Fittingly, Simon filled the stage with talented instrumentalists, including a large variety of percussionists and their mavens. The singer/songwriter has been releasing albums for years as a solo artist and as half of the legendary duo Simon and Garfunkel. After six decades of writing, he has a massive catalog of songs from which to choose. But he decided to open with a new work.

While isolated during the COVID-19 epidemic, Paul wrote and recorded "Seven Psalms" - a suite inspired by the Psalms book of the Old Testament. The band performed this suite for the first thirty-five minutes without pausing between each number. They presented each song like the movements of a symphony. The audience politely enjoyed the freshness of these acoustic numbers.

But the real treat came after a brief intermission. In the second set, Mr. Simon drew from his vast catalog, performing numerous favorites from his solo work ("Graceland," "Slip Slidin' Away," "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard") and from his S&G days ("Homeward Bound"). Hearing familiar tunes felt like revisiting an old friend. In between, he brought out some deep album tracks ("The Late Great Johnny Ace," "St. Judy's Comet," "Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War").

As a bonus treat, Paul's wife, Edie Brickell, came on stage to accompany him on a few songs.

The band reached into the vault for his encore set. He and the band opened the set with "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," followed by "The Boxer," which inspired the audience to sing the "Lie-la-lie" chorus enthusiastically. At the end of this song, everyone left the stage except for Simon, who accompanied himself on guitar for a haunting version of "Sounds of Silence."

I caught the last of his Chicago shows Saturday evening. This tour began last month - his first in seven years and the first since the 83-year-old singer's recent diagnosis with partial hearing loss. He dubbed this tour: "A Quiet Celebration," as it focused on acoustic arrangements with complex yet subtle percussion, violins, woodwinds, and acoustic guitars. The stage design assisted his hearing - the band surrounded Mr. Simon, and the music remained soft and understated.

No one left disappointed.