Music Reviews 2006

TIDESWELL THEATRE - Ashley Hutchings' Midsummer Miscellany with Judy Dunlop and Steve Marsh

TIDESWELL THEATRE

The 'Theatre at the URC Hall' venue had welcoming staff, comfortable seating and good ventilation. Refreshments, included in the ticket price, were served by Tideswell Community Players, the sponsors.

Ashley Hutchings, folk-rock legend, made his third visit to Tideswell bringing Judy Dunlop, vocalist, and Steve Marsh, guitarist.

Midsummer Miscellany was 'folk' at its most sanitised and pleasant. There was no lovesick swain, no distressed damsel, no village idiot, no death.

The material presented, on the theme of midsummer folklore, was from rich sources including John Clare and Flora Thompson, with original verses and songs by group members.

Initially the lack of balance between the two guitars struck one, but after the first couple of bars this was of no significance.

Ashley Hutchings's mellifluous speaking voice was a joy to listen to. His Swan Upping item was delightful.

Judy Dunlop's manner was warm and she held the group together with her spontaneous humour. Her singing seemed effortless and relaxed. Her voice was assured and tuneful. She had a repertoire of vocal variety, which was always easy on the ear.

Steve Marsh's guitar accompaniment was reliable. Many in the audience were very amused by his deliberately cumbersome poem. His own composition, Evening Star, guitar solo, was effective. It seemed to yearn for Spanish-style fingering. (Is he too old to learn at 57 and a half?)

This trio gave a light-hearted and satisfying evening's entertainment.

M. Astrid Ayers

DAVID BARNARD (PIANO) & NICOLA MILLS (SOPRANO) - Song Recital

What a wonderful treat was in store for us at St. John's church today. Nicola Mills (soprano) and David Barnard (piano) gave us a lively and very convincing performance. A wonderful selection of music that was given by an extremely talented duo. (Loretta)

Never having been to a recital before I really didn't know what to expect. St. John's Church provided a superb setting and I was surprised by the intensity of the performance of both soprano and pianist. An interesting variety of songs provided a very pleasant Sunday afternoon's entertainment. (Mark)

AMARETTI CHAMBER ORCHESTRA - Orchestral Concert

Louise Latham

St. John's Church

What a wonderful summer of music we have had on the Fringe this year. To add to our enjoyment the Amaretti String Orchestra returned to the Fringe with a programme of twentieth century English music played to a capacity audience in St John's.

The programme opened with a fine performance of Vaughan Williams' well known Fantasia on a theme of Thomas Tallis which is now so popular it can often be heard on Classic FM. It was composed in 1910 inspired by one of the psalm chant tunes published by Tallis in 1567 and is a good example of the influence on Vaughan Williams of English Tudor music. The orchestra members had been arranged with considerable care in order to bring out the different parts.

This was followed by Finzi's Clarinet Concerto with soloist Geoffrey Smith. Not so long ago this work was almost unknown but after its appearance in the BBC's Young Musician competition it became an instant hit. Both orchestra and soloist expertly caught the rather wistful character of Finzi's music.

Peter Warlock's best known composition, the Capriol Suite, a collection of sixteenth century dances orchestrated for strings led us, it seemed almost inevitably, to the Introduction and Allegro for Strings by Elgar. This is a marvellous work, composed when Elgar was just establishing his lasting reputation, and the orchestra rose magnificently to the occasion producing a superbly rich sound which I think Elgar would have most definitely approved of!

This is a very fine orchestra which must surely be building an enviable reputation under their conductor Louise Latham.

P.L.

MANCHESTER RECORDER ORCHESTRA - Summer Concert

MANCHESTER RECORDER ORCHESTRA - Simon

Trinity Church

Saturday, July 22nd

A recorder orchestra - now there's a democratic sort of thing. It's portable and relatively cheap - though bass recorders can easily set you back 1000 - and you don't get big showy things stealing the programme.

Of course one of the problems with democracies is that they can encourage the banal and the safe. The Manchester Recorder Orchestra (MRO henceforth) began their programme with some conservative pieces - adaptations of romantic melodies by Mendelssohn, Borodin and Elgar which whilst very agreeable were also just a bit too comfortable. (I've no idea how extensive an 'Early Music' recorder orchestra repertoire exists, I know some arrangements of De Lassus and Gabrieli exist and I'd love to hear it!)

Thereafter, for the most part, things got more interesting. Recorder Orchestras are a newish idea and there is a limited repertoire written for them. Pieces by Dennis Bamforth (who founded the MRO 25 years ago) and Brian Monroe showed that a recorder orchestra could be more muscular, dynamic and challenging. Four programmatic pieces by Ian Farquhar representing some images around Prague completed the programme.

Bamforth - who died last year - taught and worked in and around Manchester and Stockport for many years and was a prolific composer of recorder music. The MRO programme included his Introduction and Rondo - featuring Oliver Buxton on bassoon - and the eastern influenced Red Hills and Chinese Blue.

The American, Brian Monroe, was represented by three dances from Romeo and Juliet adapted specifically for the MRO. These short pieces provided examples of the range that is possible with recorders.

Oliver Buxton (bassoon) was a guest soloist for three items - the Elgar Romance, the Bamforth Introduction and Rondo and the Polonaise written by the Prague-born Ludwig Milde. He worked hard to deliver smooth and sensitive accounts on an instrument seldom featured.

The MRO (along with, say, Partita) are regulars on the Fringe. They offer something rare and valuable and should not be taken for granted. You are unlikely to hear their like in Buxton other than at the Fringe - an annual opportunity, take it!

For more information see: http://www.mro-online.co.uk

Keith Savage

TIDESWELL MALE VOICE CHOIR - In Concert

St John's Church, Buxton

Yesterday's warm summer evening was made special by the Tideswell Male Voice Choir's concert. Their full, confident voices send up classical and popular pieces in a varied programme that included Puccini's aria from Turandot, a folk song from Nova Scotia, and the mournful lament "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables.

The engaging and serene singing, beautifully accompanied, is evidently the consequence of a great deal of effort and their shared celebration of music is noteworthy. Three very different soloists brought additional texture to the evening's performance and demonstrated the depth of talent on offer. It is not a surprise that the choir will be treading the boards at the Buxton Opera House later this year in November with Aled Jones. To enjoy these tuneful fellows beforehand seek them out at Stoney Middleton's Well Dressing this weekend.

Mala Bhaumik

ANGELA ROWLEY AND ANNA LE HAIR - ..and the Livin' is easy

*ANGELA ROWLEY AND ANNA LE HAIR

A sizeable audience welcomed Angela Rowley and Anna Le Hair back to the Fringe - their third year - with varied programme of songs from Handel through to Gershwin taking in Wagner and Vaughan Williams..

Angela has a beautiful voice and is wonderfully supported by her talented accompanist Anna. The programme showed their skills to great advantage particularly the Bachianas brasilieras by Villa Lobos with its almost equal demands on both singer and pianist and in the main work of the evening - Knoxville: Summer of 1915 by Samuel Barber. This is a setting of a short piece of prose by James Agee about childhood in Tenessee. Angela had thoughtfully provided copies of Agee's text to enable us to appreciate in full the clever relationship of Barber's haunting American voice to the incomprehensible nature of adult behaviour as seen by a young child.

Other highlights included Les Filles de Cadix by Delibes and an excerpt from Charpentier's opera Louise reminding us of its skilful composition and the dramatic qualities of this almost forgotten work. The evening concluded with Max Reger's charming "The quiet of then wood", a calm end to a delightful programme made even better by the strawberries and cream in the interval.

P.L.

ACCORDES - Lute Songs

St. Johns Church

7.30, 20th July 2006

Have you ever wondered what a Theorbo might be? This evening at St. John's church, Accordes, a trio of medieval musicians, gave a prime opportunity to discover what this mysterious instrument might be.

Beautiful to listen to, and at times amusing, the performers presented a fairly varied program of Italian, French, Spanish and English music from the 16th to 18th Centuries. The theme of the evening; "My love doth rage and yet my love doth rest." was taken from one of the songs performed, and followed one of the common themes of the evening- that of love and the different ways it can affect us.

Sasha Johnson Manning, a soprano with an impressive CV, sang in high pure tones throughout the evening. The talented Roger Child ably accompanied her on Lute, Theorbo and Guitar, creating a sound that was at times lively and cheerful, and often serene and beautiful.

The performance was given added texture by Holly Marland (Mezzo Soprano, Lute). Ms. Marland was a joy to watch, using the songs to tell stories with a bright and at times delightfully cheeky manner! Her rich voice blended beautifully with the soaring tones of the soprano, with line endings timed faultlessly to good effect.

With opportunities to talk to the performers, and discuss what exactly a 'Theorbo' might be, the evening proved not only enjoyable, but also educational. In all, a very pleasant and relaxing way to spend a hot summers evening.

Katherine Bremner

GILL SWEETING AND THE BLUE CHEESE TARTS - The Low-down Slowed-down Blues

GILL SWEETING AND THE BLUE CHEESE TARTS

Old Hall Hotel 18th July 8pm

It was hot in the Shrewsbury Room of the Old Hall Hotel: the air temperature had reached 100' F during the day. The waiting audience turned red faces towards whirring fans and gulped bottles of chilled Buxton water - but they need not have bothered. The moment they started to play, these guys were chilled. And they were still hot. I hadn't heard Gill Sweeting & the Blue Cheese Tarts before, being a relative newcomer to the town, but there were familiar faces from our own Club Acoustic.

As soon as Gill started to sing, I determined not to make comparisons between her and other, well-known Blues singers. She's a gutsy, guttural, stylish singer who set the tone for the evening with "Good Morning Heartache", sweet'n'sour-talking her audience, hooking us in. Magdalena Bezdekova took up the haunting melody on violin in "Between the bars". As the first set (of three) sauntered through "Blues in the Night", "Weary blues", "Meet me where they play the blues", "Black light blue" and "On the road again", we became acquainted with Jim Davie on guitar, percussion & voice, Jim Lampard on sax & accordion, Garry Booth on double bass & guitar & a new Blue Cheese tart, Ruby Moon, on percussion and voice. The men wore boots, the women went barefoot: barefoot and booted blues! It was very inspiring to be in the company of this group of musicians who were clearly thoroughly enjoying playing together, and giving the audience a great evening simultaneously.

Style and pace sustained, we travelled through the peaks and troughs of life in bluesland for the subsequent sets. We met another new Blue Cheese tart, Anthea Davies on concertina, and towards the end of the third set, sound man John McGrother made his way to the front to take up his place at the piano for the last few songs, to great cheers from the band. Kevin on lights added to the mood, with his subtle, low-level lighting & orange glowing heart, not to mention his own inimitable improvised auxiliary percussion: pencil on radiator - nice one Kev! We called for an encore when the encore had already been played - and the audience's enjoyment of the evening was written all over our faces as we emerged, reluctantly, into the cool night air.

Susie Muncaster

UNCLOISTERED - Italian Musical 'Theatres of the Mind'

L'Amfiparnaso by Orazio Vecchi

The performance was billed to take place in the Hydro Caf but owing to management problems the Caf was closed. Instead chairs were arranged on the shady side of Spring Gardens and with Boots the chemist as a back drop we were given a marvellous unaccompanied rendering of Vecchi's madrigal comedy L'Amfiparnaso .

Composed in 1597 this is a precursor of what we now understand by opera, and is probably not all that well known except to early music fans. But do not be put off. The lovely voices of this young and enthusiastic quintet from the United States and a brief introduction to each scene will sweep you up into the age old story - boy meets girl; boy loses girl; boy gets girl.

This was singing of a very high standard indeed. The evident enjoyment of the group in their performance was readily conveyed to the audience which gradually swelled as passing shoppers stopped to find out what was going on. Even interruptions for passing delivery trucks did not seriously disrupt things, the bass flagging down the drivers to make them wait until the end of the scene.

There are two more performances, both at the Hydro Cafe (if it is open, but presumably in the street if closed) one on 20 July at 2.00pm and the other on 21 July at 7.30. A must for all music lovers.

P.L

UNCLOISTERED - Unearthing Musical Jewels

*UNCLOISTERED

Poole's Cavern - Tuesday 18th July

Occasionally, when perusing the fringe programme, an event leaps out that you instantly realise has to be seen. Such it was for me with Uncloistered. The idea of a five piece choir in the grandeur of Poole's Cavern was compelling. I should admit first off my love of the cave having worked there as a guide for six seasons, and I have witnessed many events within its confines. I should also admit my ignorance of the music on offer. But none of this matters. What I and around forty other people saw tonight was special.

Uncloistered took us on an historical tour of choral music, from Gregorian chants, through medieval hymns, up to contemporary pieces and folk songs from around the world. While leading us willingly further under Grin Low woods the ethereal voices melded, the harmonies flew and wove, creating a richness of tone and texture perfectly complemented by the organic shapes and spaces of the cavern. Each part of the cavern added its own quality to the song, the cathedralesque majesty of the Main Chamber, the compactness of Mary Queen of Scots Pillar, and the breathy intimacy of the Sculpture Chamber. In the larger chambers the voices expanded to fill the space, in the smaller it was like each voice was whispering directly into your ear, separate and distinct.

Of the dozen or so pieces offered it is difficult to pick any out, but amongst the highlights for me were one written by a member of the choirs entourage which, with its more dissonant and discordant harmonies created a tension that set the hairs on my neck trembling, and of course the Tuvan throat singing, a technique originating I believe in the Russian Steppe whereby one voice can sing several notes at once. If what I have written has still not convinced you to experience Uncloistered in Poole's Cavern for yourself, all I can say is GO SEE IT! You deserve it.

Chris Robinson

THE ORCHESTRA OF KING EDWARD MUSICAL SOCIETY OF MACCLESFIELD - Orchestral Concert

THE ORCHESTRA OF KING EDWARD MUSICAL SOCIETY OF MACCLESFIELD

Entitled Music for Friends KEMS presented a programme played by friends for friends which was perfectly suited to a warm Summer evening on the Fringe. And what a clever programme it was. Four works each calling for different groups of musicians and ranging from baroque to modern.

They opened with Dumbarton Oaks by Stravinsky for a small group of strings and wind. Composed in 1938 when Stravinsky had completely lost touch with his Russian origins and was concentrating on technique this is a brave challenge for an amateur orchestra and was a good illustration of, as it were, a modern Brandenburg concerto. The real thing followed- Bach's double concerto for strings only- with talented soloists Nicola Bright and Linda Simcock. Although this piece is now extremely familiar, thanks in part to endless repetition on Classic FM, this was an exciting performance, the largo being played with particular sensitivity, and proving yet again how much more is to gained from live music than recorded.

After the interval we were given Gounod's Petite Symphony scored for a wind octet plus a flute. It is a charming work and KEMS' accurate ensemble brought out all its inherent freshness. The evening concluded with the whole orchestra giving a vigorous performance of Symphony No. 40 by Mozart.

There were no programme notes but instead conductor Anthony Houghton introduced each item and gave interesting background information which was helpful to complete enjoyment of a delightful concert.

P.L.

HIGH PEAK ORCHESTRA - Summer Concert

*HIGH PEAK ORCHESTRA

St. John's Church

HPO opened their 2006 Fringe concert with a rousing introduction - John Ireland's Epic March. Commissioned by the BBC in 1942 to mark the launch of what is now Radio 3 this is a quintessentially English piece, a bombastic first subject dominated by the brass followed by a calmer melody for strings and wood wind with the pattern then repeated. The orchestra tackled it with great gusto.

For the main work, Grieg's Piano Concerto, HPO had found in Benjamin Powell another dazzling young soloist. Although still a postgraduate student at the Royal Northern College of Music Benjamin brought to the work a maturity that was astonishing. The Grieg concerto is not a piece for faint hearts. It demands a very high level of technical competence. So secure was Benjamin however that his playing seemed almost effortless. And better still he was able to capture Grieg's Nordic voice which is an essential component of this concerto. It was almost a privilege to hear such a wonderful performance.

The programme concluded with Mahler Symphony No.1 (The Titan). Another demanding work which the orchestra played with an assured competence remarkable for amateurs, the small army of horns which the composer called-for filling St. John's with a ravishing sound.

It is some years now since HPO first came to the Fringe. We have watched the orchestra grow in ability so that now they can present programmes which would have been unthinkable hitherto. Much of this is due to the skill of their conductor, Andrew Hodkinson, who constantly urges his team to greater heights. We should be grateful that live music in the Peak is in such enthusiastic hands.

P.L.

HPO have already announced their programme for July 14 in next year's Fringe, Glinka- Russlan and Ludmilla, Mozart- Sinfonia Concertante for violin and viola and Shostakovitch 10. Make a note in your 2007 diary!

LAURA TANNER - Mozart Marathon

*LAURA TANNER

I've always liked the sound of the French horn. Its mellow, warm voice is so much more restful and pleasing than the more strident (but more commonly played) trumpet. It's a bit like in Opera - the Three Tenors make all the money, but I'd take the Three Baritones (were there such a thing) any day.

Apparently, Mozart shared my preference for the horn, going so far as to claim a mortal fear of the trumpet. For her lunchtime concert, Laura Tanner worked her way through the entire catalogue of Mozart's horn concerti. She played with skill, musicianship and an obvious love of the music, augmented by humorous and insightful introductions. Her accompanist should also be complimented for his skilful and sympathetic work.

Sad to say, I had to return to work before the end of the concert, but I have no doubt that this captivating and relaxing lunchtime entertainment would have concluded as enjoyably as it began. Incidentally, proceeds for this event were for charity. Anyone wishing to contribute can do so at http://www.justgiving.com/lauratanner.

Robbie Carnegie

HARLEY - Songs of an Unsung Hero

HARLEY

Underground Venues, Orchestra Pit

12, 13, 15, 16, 17 July

The Fringe programme tells us that Jay Harley is also a top stuntman - so it may be slightly disappointing that as a singer/songwriter he neither bursts into flames nor gets run over by a tank. Indeed this whole tough, physical persona is initially a bit of mystery. Jay's songs deal with some of our more fragile moments and experiences; some songs are romantic in tone, others reflective. He suggests that life is about opposites - the yin and yang - and that the physical/active aspect of his life is realised in stunt work. Songs allow him a chance to deal with other, emotional needs. This undermining of stereotypes and expectations is an engaging aspect of the performance.

Jay and his band - Kevin, guitar and Becky, harmony vocals - arrived in Buxton from London only and hour or two before the gig started and will no doubt grow into the Orchestra Pit as the week progresses. Jay promises to mix-up the songs a bit, so each night will be different. A song about dawn in the Masai Mara may have worked best tonight.

For more information and to hear some music go to www.jayharley.com

Keith Savage

ELTON ERIC - The Human Jukebox

Buxton Museum and Art Gallery

July 11, 2-4pm.

Clearly a human jukebox was the last thing that visitors to the normally serene Buxton Museum and Art Gallery were expecting.

'I frightened the life out of them!', grinned Elton after a couple of them backed away from the photographic gallery where he had just belted out a two-mike version of 10CC's 'I'm Not In Love'.

As it was, very few of us showed up for this remarkable event, which was a shame because with his flashing lights, cowboy hat and karaoke machine, Elton Eric is a lively performer who could easily become the life and soul of any party, except there was no party.

Elton himself seemed not too alarmed by the paucity of the crowd, commenting: 'At five past twelve, I smashed the toilet. The handle broke off in my hand. Everything's been going wrong since then.' Presumably this early jinx was also responsible for the problems with his song numbers. The idea was that you picked up a number from a hook and that this would then match a song from his play list. Nothing matched, but it did not really matter as Elton was generally able to fulfil his few requests and where there weren't any was more than happy - perhaps a little too happy - just to perform his own set until somebody interrupted.

In any case, it was an enjoyable, life-enhancing occasion featuring King of the Road, Rock Around the Clock, Michelle, The Most Beautiful Girl in the World and - the first 45 he ever bought - My Feet Begin to Crumble, amongst many other sing-along hits. Not that he encourages singing along. 'I don't like too many drunken revellers getting involved with it. I'm very serious about my singing', he warned, though thankfully my uncontrollable dancing seemed to go down all right.

Towards the end of his performance, something seemed to click and at one point there were a good six of us in the room including two elderly ladies, one admittedly with her hands over her ears, but the other smiling delightedly at his powerful rendition of Whiter Shade of Pale (her request). Elton is hoping to show up some afternoons in the Hydro Caf, where he reasons that people will have to finish their butties before leaving. A possible candidate for Fringiest Act, this energetic one-man show deserves some support and Heaven knows, the buttoned-up Buxton public could do with a party animal in their midst.

Stephanie Billen

PROJECT ADORNO - Project Adorno's Songs For Screensavers

PROJECT ADORNO

The Old Clubhouse

The Fringe welcomes Project Adorno's latest outburst of songs from the world of the office. Not The Office but a close relation.

Setting the tone with a Leonard Cohen song (don't let that put you off), the boys soon get into their stride with a collection of songs of office politics, post it notes and revenge. A sly, often quirky take on some of the things that have often driven this reviewer to distraction - for example job descriptions. Find them helpfully translated here by the Baddiel & Skinner of this year's Fringe. They do mention Essex, but don't hold it against them.

With tunes reminiscent of the early Pet Shop Boys, Yazoo and ABBA your toe will tap and your fingers . . . well I'll leave that up to you. Pop inside and take a chance on these chaps.

Ian Heath

YORKSHIRE MUSIC - Sam Dunkley

YORKSHIRE MUSIC

The Pauper's Pit

Sam has a great stage presence and seems well at home chatting away to the audience. He has obviously played a good many venues, and this shows through in his on-stage confidence. His music has its roots in traditional folk, of which he intersperses more modern music with traditional folk songs. Sam has a good voice and musical ability which he puts to good use whilst singing and playing guitar and piano. At times he is backed by a band comprising of a viola, violin, keyboards, and a female singer. This can only serve to add to the beauty of his music, and yet does not take away from its touching simplicity.

Sam Dunkley writes new folk music for a new generation; this draws on more modern musical influences as well as folk. Folk music is a very wide genre due to its enduring nature. From traditional folk dating back hundreds of years, to folk of the sixties, to folk of the modern day; folk music has changed and adapted to the times in which it finds itself, whilst still portraying themes of the people: real life, real love, and real people.

Folk music written and played by young people of today, but influenced by its rich and varied past can only be a good thing. So if you would like to see for yourself one of the many people contributing to this musical tradition go along and see Sam Dunkley play at the Pauper's Pit.

Jasmine Harmer

RETURN TO RED - Return To Red

RETURN TO RED

The Orchestra Pit

10 & 11 July

'Return to Red' are based in Tideswell and Sheffield. They are a four-piece - acoustic guitar, drums, bass and vocals - and make lightish, melodic music. The musicians are two men and two women - a balance which may account for the dynamics of the music. It is to their credit that whilst the music seems comfortable to listen to it does not sound derivative - the sound is their own.

The songs offer a commentary on the world of the white 'North' - a world that is shallow, materialistic, self-obsessed. The commentary is not especially hard-hitting or political with a big 'P'. It follows that the songs are observations rather than polemics. The visual images and slides that accompanied some of the songs - to do with romance or money - lent weight to the commentary.

'Return to Red' take their name from the suggestion that 'return' implies renewal and 'red' because of its warmth. That self-definition may help place a reflective music that you may hear on the Fringe at the end of a day working - or at the beginning of an evening's entertainment.

Keith Savage

AITONE - A Tapestry of the Senses

*AITONE

St James the Less

Some sixty people - ranging from early music enthusiasts to refugees from domestic football - gathered in this exquisite former Chapel of Ease for Aitone's festival fringe debut. This a capella group, only formed in the Autumn of 2005, is based in long Eaton - Old English name Aitune (pronounced Eye-tunne) in the Domesday Book of 1086. Seven of the nine singers listed on their website were present: - they are currently advertising for another bass/baritone - and from the first electrifying note most of us knew that St. James was the place to be that evening.

It is difficult to avoid superlatives when describing this group's perfect intonation, clear diction and considerable learning, lightly worn and arrestingly imparted. Whenever possible, their music is freshly edited from original sources. Only Dowland's "Come again" was remotely familiar to the most avid Radio 3 listener, and one item, "There is a garden in her face" by Robert Jones (fl. 1597-1615), is in the repertoire of no other group, apparently, and has never yet been recorded. It was only in this piece, the Dowland and "Lirum bililirum" by Mantovano (fl. early 16th century) that the singers felt able to look up, smile and really perform to us rather than to one another. This is par for the course with such an intimate and demanding programme.

The sequence of nineteen pieces - some liturgical, some secular - entitled "A Tapestry of the Senses" wove together the themes of the 15th Century 'Lady and the Unicorn' tapestries, depicting the five senses and 'my one desire'. Music from the 13th to the 17th centuries was included: "music by a king, by commoners, by the famous, by the forgotten", to quote the informative printed programme. "Major centres of composition, manuscripts and languages rub elbows with countries no longer in existence and languages whose day has passed." It gave one a frisson to hear singing in Occitan,the old Provencal tongue of Languedoc, Mantuan and the language of Thibault I, the troubadour King of Navarre, as well as in English. (it came as news to many of us that 14th Century England, spearheaded by the Worcester School, produced more music than anywhere else in Europe: - most of it now lost.)

Further variety was produced by different groupings of singers: - duets, trios, one solo. Such is the group's musicality and ensemble that minimum direction is needed, initial pitch being determined by a small electronic tuner, which retained its G, but lost its B Flat as the concert wore on! Paradoxically, although St. James was built in 1880, its fin de siecle style seemed the ideal setting.

This was Aitone's last summer concert. Their next project: - little sung Christmas music - must be eagerly awaited by all who have heard them. This group is one of the best things ever to grace the Festival Fringe, and, certainly, St. James Arts Centre.

Margaret Bryant

RACHAEL PENNELL - Bewitched - The Songs of Rodgers and Hart

RACHAEL PENNELL

Ruth Etting was a singer in the early part of the 20th century, particularly famous for her interpretation of the songs of Rodgers and Hart. She was also the wife of a vicious, jealous gangster.

In her show, Bewitched, singer and actress Rachael Pennell channels a selection of Rodgers and Hart songs to tell Etting's life story. It is a clever idea and one that works remarkably well, giving what would still be a good concert an emotional narrative that makes the show something special.

Ms Pennell's voice is smokey, sassy and vulnerable by turns, and her performances of such songs as We'll Take Manhatten, My Funny Valentine, Where and When, Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered and The Lady is a Tramp memorable. Her singing talent, coupled with an empathic acting performance as Etting, carry this highly enjoyable show from jolly opening to tragic middle, to uplifting ending.

Robbie Carnegie

HOJO - Original Acoustic Music

HOJO

7th July - Prince of Wales

Hojo really is an intriguing figure, being somewhat druidic in appearance and with a distinct air of mysticism, making him at once an engaging character. With a background in art, mask making, composing electronic soundscapes, and writing music for plays, the man really lives up to the image.

In his guise here at his first Buxton Fringe Festival (and later at the Edinburgh Fringe) as an acoustic folk musician, you must wonder if there is no creative endeavor this man cannot turn his hand to. It really is a unique opportunity to see an artist of his caliber in such an intimate venue. Reminiscent of Nick Drake, Roy Harper et al, Hojo performs a mix of instrumentals (which are so outstanding they must be witnessed to be believed), traditional standards, covers and his own material. His own songs can stand tall amongst the covers of his favorite artists, such is their quality. His brand of beautiful melodic folk is intimate and often moving, many songs of the bitter-sweet variety guaranteed to bring a tear to the eye.

As well as his scheduled appearances, Hojo will be performing on Spring Gardens during the day, and on occasion outside the Opera House before shows. So if you can't get along to see him at a venue, pop down to see him in the street and pick up a CD. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Nick Wire

UNDERGROUND EVENTS - Don't Fret - The Acoustic Chill-out Sessions

The Orchestra Pit

The opening day of Don't Fret, was a joy. The performers spanned a wide range of ages and levels of musical accomplishment and understanding. There were varying levels of expertise present but all the performers brought their own twists, takes, and interpretations to add to the mix of musical excellence present at the Orchestra Pit.

There are two performers in particular that I would like to mention. Scott Davies was an unscheduled impromptu performer who managed to at times have the audience in stitches, and then come out with a beautifully honest original song that had the audience spellbound. For someone who was completely unprepared Scott managed to hold his own whilst playing his own songs, some of which had never been performed live before, and some of which were until played on stage yesterday, unfinished.

Lewis Jordan must have played for around an hour, but at no time did it feel like such a long time. He was both a proficient guitarist, and a fantastic vocalist. He managed to fill the venue with his voice, and at times it was spilling out onto the street. However, his voice was also well suited to much quieter moments, and it is this range of voice that made his performance so good. This man seems not to know the meaning of stage fright; at all times supremely confident, whilst going seamlessly from hilariously funny original songs to beautifully tender moments, in the blink of the eye.

He reels the audience in and captures their full attention with his comedy, and then rends their hearts with the beauty of his more serious songs. Songs of note were "I Robbed The Kwik Save, but I Did Not Rob The Shoppin' Giant", and "Fishing Their Lives Away".

Both of these men, showed their "entertainer" sides, and their honest and vulnerable sides whilst on stage yesterday. Both played sets full of original songs, and both managed to entertain and captivate their audiences. If yesterday's performances were anything to go by, the Orchestra Pit is the place to be during this year's Fringe.

Jasmine Harmer

UMDUMO WESIZWE - Nqi Ngqo

UMDUMO WESIZWE

Old Hall Hotel - Orchestra Pit

7, 17,20,21 July, 1-2pm and 6-7pm

The first lunchtime performance of this Zimbabwean a cappella outfit had to overcome a major hurdle - the band had not arrived.

Because of paperwork delays, Nqi Ngqo will now be performing only from the 17th but thankfully the small audience was not to be disappointed as we were treated to another vibrant Zimbabwean band, Siyaya. 'In times of happiness we sing and in times of sadness we also sing', they announced at the outset and their exciting performance embraced every kind of mood from the ecstasy of fatherhood - 'When you talk to me like that I'm feeling so happy' to the hardships of African existence: 'I feel like knocking on Heaven's door in the name of the Father, the Son and the Spirit. What have I done for this painful life? I have suffered enough...'

Many of the lyrics were in their native tongue however - some explanatory introductions would have been useful - so the primary joy lay in appreciating their fantastic harmonies, lively dancing, great rhythm and comic sense of theatre. There were no instruments here but at times the six men and two women would pick up imaginary instruments, at one point forming a kind of dreamlike brass band. One song about a man's lust for a car involved them seemingly becoming the vehicle on stage.

Siyaya means 'We are on the move' and this established Bulowayo-based company, which performed last year for Live 8 at the Eden Project, never stopped moving, engaging us from the outset with their stamping, dancing and clapping. If Nqi Ngqo proves anywhere near this standard, it will be one of the must-see performances of the Fringe.

Stephanie Billen

Update: As of July 17th when I revisited this event, the original group had still not arrived and there was a questionmark over whether they would be here or not for performances later in the week. I am delighted to report that Siyaya are still filling the gap admirably and have even taken up my recommendation to introduce their songs. It makes all the difference to know what the songs are about and the interaction with the audience is great. This exciting event is proving justifiably popular so book ahead!