| Tapas, Tunes, but Thankfully, No Celine Dion |  If a little bit of what you fancy really does do you good then those who attended the Ewan MacColl memorial concert at Salford’s Peel Hall should be in fine shape. This musical tapas of an evening had short sets from Peggy Seeger, John Faulkner, Bob Blair, Brian Pearson, Jez Lowe and David Ferrard, performing both their own material and that of the late folk singer, songwriter and folklorist, whose re-worked auto-biography was the trigger for this soiree
Seeger opened the proceedings and the tone was set early on. Audience participation was required, and MacColl’s widow, with the demeanour of a strict but kindly school teacher wasn’t a woman to be denied.
A clearly ailing Bob Blair, coughed his way heroically, and tunefully through a short stint that included The Collier Laddie and The Bonnie Lassie o' the Mornin and then it was on to David Ferrard, who’d nipped in on his way home from school detention.
Take Me Out Waltzing Tonight requested this Scottish-American native of Edinburgh and more than a few female attendees would have quite happily obliged, arthritic hips notwithstanding. One of them was this reviewer’s sister. If young Ferrard is accosted by a large, cackling woman with a libidinous glint in her eye, the advice is to hot foot it back North of the border rapidly. Oh yes, and he sounds good too.
Jez Lowe closed the opening half, showing a nice line in movable chords. Will of the People, Bare Knuckle and Taking On Men were the offerings here.
The excellent Bob Fox took up the baton after the break and then it was the turn of John Faulkner, one half of the team that supplied the music for Bagpuss. He’s done one or two other things as well, to be fair.
Brian Pearson, workshop leader and former member of The Critics followed. Some of us still have sore throats through trying to join in with the ‘that’s the way to do it’ bit of a lengthily song about Punch and Judy. He won’t be forgiven easily.
Peggy Seeger opened her second set with The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, written for her in 1959 by MacColl. Numerous versions exist, most of them hated by the song’s creator. Celine Dion has a particularly gruesome rendition on Youtube, if you’re feeling masochistic. Someone should cut that woman’s vocal chords.
Seeger is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, looking comfortable on banjo, guitar, auto-harp, accordion and piano, so she can be pardoned for momentarily forgetting the words to one of her own songs. ‘I have photographic memory, she explained, ‘but not same day delivery.’
Peel Hall was well suited to the occasion, intimate without being pokey, and with a handy platform at the back where the artistes could flog their merchandise. The ability to dim the audience lights is absent, the sound system needs more bottom, and the refusal to allow punters to take drinks to their seats is unsporting, but two of those problems can be addressed. This could be an excellent folk music venue.
The evening ended in jolly style with all returning to the stage for Manchester Rambler. ’I may be a wage slave on Monday, But I am a free man on Sunday’ runs the hook.
For nearly three hours on Tuesday night, work seemed a long way off.
Links
Peggy Seeger
John Faulkner
Bob Blair
Jez Lowe
Bob Fox
David Ferrard
Note: Apologies for the duff picture. Someone forgot to take his camera. |
|
|
|
|
Subscribe to North West Folk
