Alighting from the metro in Newcastle city centre, my first port of call was to the Hatton Gallery situated within the Newcastle University Campus. The purpose of this visit was to view the current photographic exhibition, 'Marilyn Monroe: A British Love Affair'.
With that box ticked, I then made my way the short distance to the King's Hall which is a lovely, ornate room with stained glass windows, wooden beams and a minstrel's gallery. Situated within the Armstrong Building, it is part of Newcastle University. My last visit was many years ago when I went to see one of my sons perform. However, on this occasion I was attending a free concert by a quartet who were last year's winners of the Emerging Talent Competition at the Glastonbury Festival.
I had never heard the group before but according to the program notes, their music is 'hauntingly ethereal, yet fused with dark and powerful undertones'.
And so it proved to be.
They opened with a song entitled 'We Talked Again' which featured some beautiful harmonising and use of instruments I had not encountered before. They were belle plates which looked to me like extra large wallpaper stripping tools, but were actually hand chimes. Much use was made of these during other songs which included a delicate ballad entitled 'All You Love Is All You Are', a bluesy number called 'Diminutive Man' and even 'Fearless' a cover of a song which Pink Floyd released on their album 'Meddle'.
I immediately recognised the melody of an old Northumbrian lullaby called 'The Sandgate Dandling Song' which was composed by blind Tyneside fiddler Robert Nunn (1808-1853). It's a haunting song sung from the point of view of the wife of a keelman who has not yet returned home from sea. The melody was also used for 'Liverpool Lullaby' and as a youngster I knew it as 'Lullaby For A Mucky Kid' when lines like "Oh you are a mucky kid, dirty as a dustbin lid", seemed kind of appropriate. The song was later recorded by Cilla Black. (I never thought I would mention her in one of my posts).
Singing together, the voices of the group blended beautifully but Bridie also has a fine solo voice which to my ear is somewhat reminiscent of Judie Tzuke.
The band have a second album released in April and to mark the launch they are embarking on a major tour which will see them travel to most parts of the UK. I highly recommend that you catch them if you can. Meanwhile here is a link to the official video for 'Scarecrow'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4sqq7BV6pE
After a quick bite to eat at home, I then set off to enjoy a wide selection of recorded jazz music with a group of enthusiastic and like-minded friends. The repertoire included Sydney Bechet, John Coltrane, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee & Lightning Hopkins, Bobby Hackett, Bunny Berigan, Stan Kenton, Ziggy Elman and Dizzy Gillespie.
A pretty good day I'd say.
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