OneTouch Theatre, Eden Court, Inverness, 3 May 2011

IT must be nerve-wracking to open for Liz Carroll and John Doyle, who may not be the most stellar names in traditional music but are two musicians other musicians travel from far and near to see.

The audience at the OneTouch contains several folk who are more used to sitting on the stage than watching others on it, and most of those who aren’t actually musicians are definitely knowledgeable. So, no pressure, then, for the three young Feis Rois Ceilidh Trailers who open with a short set of nicely chosen tunes by some of the finer composers of today, including Mike Vass.

It just so happens that Vass is sitting in the audience; performing a tune in front of its composer is also nerve-wracking but despite it all, they acquit themselves well.

Liz Carroll and John Doyle (photo SteveEdge)

Carroll and Doyle are the epitome of relaxed understatement, both as people and as musicians. Carroll’s bowing technique is minimal and delicate, but creates a wider dynamic range than those who put far more elbow into it. A warm rich vibrato and seemingly effortless grace notes are produced casually, as though there’s nothing to it.

Doyle’s a master of the guitar whose style is the epitome of unshowy. If he’d been reared in the classical tradition, he’d be playing major concert halls around the world, so it is the traditional music world’s good fortune that he grew up in Dublin and devoted his talents to Irish music instead. It takes them a couple of tunes and songs to settle down, but it all comes together in the final set of the first half – and when it comes together, these two are as good as it gets, playing with the telepathic ease of long partnership.

In the second half, the tunes and songs – for Doyle also has a very sweet voice – come flowing out, one after the other, in a glorious stream of good music, beautifully played, one moment lyrical and delicate, the next vigorous, foot-tapping stuff. Towards the end, Carroll invites first Vass, and then the Ceilidh Trailers, to join them on stage. The lack of any prior arrangement, let alone rehearsal, adds a bit of adrenaline to the ensuing tunes and the audience stamps loudly for – and is rewarded with – an encore. An evening to savour repeatedly in the memory.

© Jennie Macfie, 2011

Links

• Liz Carroll
• John Doyle