Review of Everyman Folk Club- concert by Barron Brady 26th September 2008
written by Mary Dickinson
t was then time to welcome Simon Barron and Rosalind Brady: a lovely young duo based in Devon. Their first song ‘Lowland Dart’ was written by Rosalind about a family who have farmed at Hillside in Dartington for 250 years. Of course the Everyman audience coped admirably with a chorus filled with names of Devonshire apples. Their ‘Buckland Witch’ came next with Granny shape-changing into a hare to dupe the local harriers and the interludes with Ros on whistle added to the excitement of this swift paced composition.
A total contrast followed with quiet and gentle singing by Ros accompanied astonishingly sensitively by Simon on guitar putting Irish lyrics to their own tune ['Greenwoods of Truicha']. Ros then added her harmonium to the mix for ‘Earthen Key’ a tear jerking song about global warming that included some lines from an Orkney poet.
The combination of Ros singing ‘The Blacksmith’ interwoven with Simon singing ‘Our Captain Calls’ took us back to the tradition uniting two songs with the ‘Monkton’ tune one in the major key and one in the minor- beautifully done. Some dextrous guitar playing accompanied ‘The White Hare of Oldham’ learned by Ros and Simon from the wax cylinder recording Percy Grainger made of Joseph Taylor. This provided the artists with the perfect opportunity to show off their great sense of rhythm.
We were then treated to one of Ros and Simon’s newest songs. ‘Jenny’s Mermaid’ tells the tale of a moonlight rescue, and this was a charming song with which to end the first half.
Ros and Simon began their second set with the ‘Wife of Kelso’; a jolly number of a lass who accidentally drowned herself whilst trying to murder her husband. Simon then entranced the audience with astonishingly quiet and responsive guitar playing as Ros sang ‘The False Bride’.
Moving away from the happy marriage theme(!) the title track of their new CD was next on the set list- “England Needs Her Hedgerows’, in praise of the colours and textures of our countryside. ‘Strange Harvest’ followed, written with Jack Connabeer- a local farmer forced to sell his Dartington farm. While the Everyman crowd held firm with the repeating chorus at the end of the song, Simon sang a counterpoint and Ros a descant- a very moving song indeed.
Next came the horse racing tale of ‘Creeping Jane’ via Percy Granger and Joseph Taylor, preceding to ‘Digging to Australia’; a personal tale arising from an incorrectly recalled childhood memory.
Ros and Simon finished the second half with a beautiful performance of ‘The White Rocks’ a song from Connemara.
Folk at the Everyman evidently appreciated the mixture of traditional and contemporary material that resulted in an evening of fun and entertainment as well as emotion. The tightness of the rhythm and close harmonies were real treats, as was Simon’s excellent guitar playing.
Did the audience want more? Of course! Ros and Simon’s encore returned us to Devon with ‘She-Crab’ from the singing of Charlotte Renals of Bodmin; a perfect end to a perfect evening.
Mary Dickinson 15/10/08