CAMBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL DAYS 2 & 3
Gangstagrass - image: Melodie Yvonne
Days two and three saw no let up in the magic. As the crowds thickened, and the sun shone, Cherry Hinton Hall continued its journey into a land of joy and harmony. How different from the ‘real world’? Among the many great talents on Friday were the Ayoub Sisters. Born in Glasgow of Egyptian parents, the two are consummate musicians. Sarah and Laura play cello and violin like a blessed pair of sirens. I really enjoyed their take on ‘Greensleeves’ and felt that it’s composer Henry VIII would be smiling in his kingly grave. A Spanish melody was played with grace and perfect balance; elements here of Ravel’s Bolero with its ground bass and sinewy song. Their set was full of surprises: an Egyptian prayers here, a Middle Easter mash up there and a spectacular version of the classic Hungarian dance, Csardas with its slow-fast rhythms. The audience were transported.
The Daoiri Farrell Trio drew a full crowd to enjoy their Irish folk. With Farrell on bouzouki, Mark Redmond on uilleann pipe and Robbie Walsh the bodhran player, the sound they create is at once both traditional and utterly fresh. My stand outs were Sonny’s Song a catchy lament from Newfoundland and Blue Tar Road, the song of a weary traveller. Farrell has a wonderful voice and an amiable presence on stage.
Rufus Wainwright
Arrested Development packed Stage 1 and beyond and brought a joyous beat to the day. Their infectious call and response had the audience in their grip and am sure won over many new fans. I heard one say ‘I never thought I liked hip-hop till I heard this band today’. A Damascene moment on the road to Cherry Hinton.
What’s new to say about The Proclaimers? The Scottish pair ended Friday on a rousing note. Craig and Charlie Reid have such a likeable air of non-celeb. They strolled on stage in casual black tee-shirts looking like stage crew and launched without much verbiage into their set of hits and much-loved ditties. Their conversational style in songs like Let’s Get Married and I Hate My Love For You (great title), wins hearts and minds. Just near my seat a small girl – maybe around 11 – knew all the words to every song and was fully transported into their melodic world proving that age is no barrier to loving these twins. We got the big hits of course, Letter from America, the gorgeous My Heart is Broken and to finish, what else, 500 Miles? I felt that the audience would travel 500 miles to see this ageless couple (and their excellent supporting band).
Saturday saw more amazing highlights. The audience loved Grace Petrie and her acerbic, songs of rebellion and defiance. She has a force of nature presence on stage and her anti-establishment anthems were pitched perfect for this radical(ish) crowd.
Gangstagrass – the name tells all – is an American band who are fully into the current craze for fusion music. Here the ensemble fuse Blue Grass with hip-hop and though it shouldn’t, it does really work. Two worlds not colliding but living in harmony. Very uplifting.
I especially enjoyed the Julian Taylor Band. The Canadian songwriter has a lovely tenor voice and there is a touch of the George Harrison in the guitar arrangements. His song ‘Bobbi Champagne’ was a charming memory of meeting a girl bartender with that very name who attracted him ‘like a moth to a flame’.
Niteworks
Kate Rusby celebrating her 30 years at the top of the folkish alps gave us a mixture of original songs and covers all infused with her strong north country accent. She has a dreamy voice – breathy and ethereal at times which brought out standards like the Bangles’ Manic Monday in a fresh way – there was nothing maniacal in this rendering.
The last two acts on the big Stage 1 were Rufus Wainwright and Niteworks. Accompanied by his sister Lucy Wainwright Roach, we were grandly treated to his melodious original songs such as the haunting ballad, ‘Kathleen’ with its intricate melody reminding one of Billy Joel’s heyday. We had a few songs from his recent album Folkocracy including a rather sinister take on the children’s song Mocking Bird. He joked that this song of childhood desire for bright things could have been written for the Kardashians. Wainwright has a most appealing voice and amiable stage presence. I immensely enjoyed each offering.
Last up on Saturday was Niteworks, a band from the Isle of Skye. If you think that music from this most beautiful of islands is often calm and sedate, think again. Back to fusion music, the band polish up trad Scottish songs with a buzzing and quite brilliant mix of electronics and the craziest of bagpipes. Allan MacDonald plays his pipes as though the old instrument was always intended for rock and roll. Dancing around the stage in his white trainers, the piper brought the full house down with his extravagant playing which ended with him holding the bagpipes aloft to attract their own applause. The audience could not stop dancing and near me and old chap in a colourful cloak, top hat, sporting a white beard and staff, a kind of Folk Fest Merlin, joined the younger folk in reeling and bopping to his extraordinary sound. What a way to end day three. More to come!
The Proclaimers - image: Murdo Macleod
