OneTouch Theatre, Eden Court, 22 August 2009

Mairearad Green

A SPARKLING performance wowed a full house when rising traditional music star Mairearad Green brought her composition Passing Places back to the Highlands.

Commissioned by Celtic Connections director Donald Shaw for this year’s festival, the work features an hour of original music by the talented accordionist, piper and pianist, best known as a member of Box Club and the Anna Massie Band.

Inspired by her Achiltibuie roots, the fascinating range of tunes was accompanied by dramatic film footage capturing the rugged beauties of the remote Wester Ross peninsula where Green grew up. Setting the scene in self-effacing style, she apologised for the cliché of using her home as the creative spark for her composition.

It quickly became abundantly evident that no apology was needed as the first part of the work, Leaving Home, got underway. As the band launched into the music, film footage of Green’s cousin Ruaridh Macleod cheerfully pedalling off from a small, whitewashed crofthouse was projected onto a big screen.

From then on a magical journey was woven, with musical influences ranging across the globe, from Continental styles to jazzy funk numbers; jigs, reels and cheeky polkas to more reflective slow airs. A personal favourite, both musically and visually, was a hauntingly beautiful section featuring monochrome film footage accompanied by just fiddles and accordion in atmospheric combination.

Snippets of Gaelic and English poetry, including lines from Burns and Seamus Heaney, flashed up on the cinematic backdrop, produced by cameraman Magnus Graham from Skye.

The evident relish of her fellow band members bore testament to Mairearad Green’s talent for writing hugely enjoyable tunes, and she herself seemed to be loving every minute. A moment of confusion as to whether she was playing pipes or accordion produced a giggle and added to the overall good-humoured nature of the performance.

The long second section, Passing Places, ranged through a variety of styles and terrains, ending with an infectious set of reels led by Green on small border pipes. In the last section Ruaridh arrives home in the village, neat symmetry evident when he leans his bicycle against the cottage wall once more. A fine final visual flourish comes when he opens the door to be greeted by a joyous collie

Passing Places is an impressive piece of work from a supremely talented young musician. Its impact was boosted by the fact Green was backed by a band featuring some of the cream of the Scottish traditional music scene. Anna Massie shone on guitar, while Adam Sutherland and Peter Tickell brought the fiddle arrangements vividly to life.

Donald ‘Drummy’ Hay was the source of rhythms ranging from subtle and atmospheric to infectiously bouncy, while bassist Duncan Lyall underpinned the melodies with warm, rich double bass. Mandolin from Adam Bulley and Hamish Napier on piano completed the top quality line up

The Eden Court gig was the second of a two Highland performances, the first being a triumphant return to Mairearad Green’s home village and source of inspiration in Achiltibuie.

Coinciding with the CD release of Passing Places, the show will be performed again at Sabhal Mor Ostaig on 25 October as part of Highland Homecoming, and hopefully will return for a more extensive Highland tour.

© Catriona Ross, 2009

Links

• Mairearad Green