If the songs Jim Moray sings are epic, then his performance tonight can only be called heroic. Battling against throat problems, he nonetheless rose against the odds and delivered a soulful performance of great beauty. From the first plangent chords of Dives and Lazarus to the beautiful waterfalls of sound accompanying Two Sisters, Jim Moray held us all spellbound.
It was a strange venue, very plush, and not quite what I had expected on a first visit. However, Jim transformed it with his heartfelt vocals and sometimes simple but often complex accompaniment on piano and guitar. Other highlights included a beautiful rendition of the Shirley Collins song Guilderoy and a 'double bill' of Night Visiting with its Philip Glass-like piano figure underpinning the spooky lyrics, and Bella Hardy's gorgeous Three Black Feathers, a song performed magnificently on record by both Bella and Jim but which reached even greater heights this evening.
If there's anyone who has yet to be convinced of Jim Moray's ability to make folk music thrilling and contemporary without jettisoning its traditional spirit (can there be anyone?) then go see him live or listen to his CDs. Perfect.
Wednesday 14 April 2010
Sunday 4 April 2010
The new Doctor Who
David Tennant (my favourite Doctor) was a hell of an act to follow and I'm afraid Matt Smith is going to take a bit of getting used to as far as I'm concerned. He really does need to find his own style - at the moment he is trying to be a more sarcastic version of Tennant, although I do see the potential in him for a new 'darker' character compared to his predecessors. It certainly will be interesting to see how he inhabits the role and makes it his own.
His sidekick is interesting - she seems to have many of the qualities of Billie PIper and again it will be interesting to see how the relationship develops between them (assuming she's going to be a more or less permanent fixture in this season).
The show was well-written, but I'm beginning to detect a bit of a formula developing and I hope the new series avoids too much lazy writing. The 'Doctor leaves sidekick behind - she pines for him - but then he comes back in the end' routine is now wearing a bit thin. I'm hoping that the departure of Russell T Davies doesn't make too much difference, but, like Tennant, he was a hard act to follow and the writing will have to be top-notch to equal his input.
So yes, I'll give it 6 out of 10 but fully expect that score to rise as the season progresses and the new team settles in.
His sidekick is interesting - she seems to have many of the qualities of Billie PIper and again it will be interesting to see how the relationship develops between them (assuming she's going to be a more or less permanent fixture in this season).
The show was well-written, but I'm beginning to detect a bit of a formula developing and I hope the new series avoids too much lazy writing. The 'Doctor leaves sidekick behind - she pines for him - but then he comes back in the end' routine is now wearing a bit thin. I'm hoping that the departure of Russell T Davies doesn't make too much difference, but, like Tennant, he was a hard act to follow and the writing will have to be top-notch to equal his input.
So yes, I'll give it 6 out of 10 but fully expect that score to rise as the season progresses and the new team settles in.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
