Glen Urquhart Public Hall, Drumnadrochit 19 May 2008

Mary Ann Kennedy (photo - © BedwyrPhoto.com).

‘IT’S music with the same roots that’s blossomed in different directions,’ was Mary Ann Kennedy’s apt description of the headily eclectic concoction that is Fiddle Rendezvous.

Reuniting unruly, far-flung strands from the folk traditions of Ireland, the USA, Brittany and Scotland is a task requiring great instinct, skill and versatility. And the style with which Fiddle Rendezvous rose to the challenge made it abundantly clear that for all the band members this fascinating collaboration is a real labour of love.

The band blends the talents of Mary Ann Kennedy on clarsach and vocals, Breton guitarist Gilles le Bigot, American fiddler, guitarist and vocalist Bruce Molsky and traditional Irish fiddler Gerry O’Connor. The line up is completed by rising young stars Mike and Ali Vass from Nairn, with Mike on fiddle and guitar and his twin sister Ali on piano, keyboards and vocals.

The packed hall was a beguiling venue for the musical treat in store. Cosy candlelit tables, real ales at the bar and a warm, homely atmosphere combined to boost the pleasure of the evening.

The music kicked off with some traditional Scottish tunes, starting with fiddle from Mike Vass simply accompanied by the clarsach. Each of the other musicians joined the blend in turn to create a joyously melodious and smooth sound. The pace picked up when O’Connor launched into a high-spirited reel, then each band member showcased their distinctive style, bringing the set to a climax which had the audience yelling for more.

The inventiveness and onstage symbiosis of Mike and Ali Vass were next under the spotlight, the pair displaying boldness and delicacy in equal measure during a buoyant batch of tunes. Fiddling in the finest Scottish tradition was complemented by Ali Vass’s dynamic piano style, using the whole range of the keyboard to vivacious effect.

Memorable moments and bizarre blends came thick and fast. Who’d have thought puirt a beul – Gaelic mouth music – and old-time American folk fiddle would be a marriage made in heaven? But Mary Ann Kennedy and Bruce Molsky blended the two seamlessly with superb onstage chemistry.

A haunting Gaelic song about the impact of the Highland Clearances on Islay was another of Kennedy’s finest moments, during which Molsky swopped fiddle for guitar and Gilles Le Bigot shone on tambura – a small Eastern European lute.

O’Connor drew on rich Irish tradition and delighted the crowd with evocative airs and animated jigs and reels. A Breton sequence of slow air, a march and a dance proved another crowning moment, the obvious enjoyment of the musicians more than matched by the enthusiasm of the audience.

A rousing finale (described as hailing from the US-Bulgarian border!) was a triumphant romp showcasing all styles onstage to dramatic effect. Of course, there was an encore – billed as “the real fiddle rendezvous when Irish, American and Scottish styles meet and implode into smithereens!” Then as the evening drew to a close, Bruce Molsky had the Drumnadrochit posse singing along to cowboy songs like they’d been born on the range.

If their music is the diverse blossom of traditional roots, Fiddle Rendezvous are flower arrangers extrordinaire.

© Catriona Ross, 2008

Links

• Fiddle Rendezvous
• Glenurquhart Hall