Blas: Blast Off

4 Sep 2006 in Festival, Highland, Music

Nevis Centre, Fort William, 1 September 2006

Jenna Cumming

THE SCOTTISH tradition’s three graces – music, song and dance – were all present as Blas launched the Lochaber strand of its nine-day celebration of Highland music.

If the dance element was brief, courtesy of Jenna Reid’s bashful demonstration of the Shetland backstep after much teasing by her colleagues in the Julie Fowlis band, the music and song content underlined the tradition’s strength at both grass roots and more accomplished levels.

The Phoenix Honda Glasgow Skye Pipe Band opened and closed the concert by showing why they’ve retained top grade competition status with tight ensemble playing, effective harmonies, a cracking drum corps and a sense of humour when things don’t go entirely to plan.

Angus MacColl’s solo pipes set was exemplary, drawing on song melodies, complete technical command and an expressive style that communicated easily with the audience.

The youngsters of Feis Lochabair Ceilidh Trail showed instrumental flair on accordions, fiddles, harp, pipes, whistles, bodhran and keyboards, and have two promising singers in Megan Henderson and Lauren Tate.

Introduced by our bilingual host, Mary Ann Kennedy, as having arrived ready-packaged as a Gaelic singer, Jenna Cumming quickly justified her billing. She has a lovely, natural voice and a way of telling a song that gives a clear sense of narrative.

Julie Fowlis has similar qualities. Although she seemed a wee bit breathless at times here, she and her band put together an impressive package of songs and tunes. The accompaniments, on bouzouki, fiddle and guitar, were particularly effective, each instrument lending a clear shape and drive behind the singer and dovetailing effortlessly with her whistle playing in the spirited and precise tune sets.

© Rob Adams, 2006

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