Reviews
Saturday
On Saturday afternoon, the Real Music Bar sessions held at The Sandygate got underway, showcasing the talents of young musicians Jamie Roberts and Katriona Gilmore, whose dexterous playing ability on guitar and fiddle respectively, drew a decent sized audience despite competing with the major concert appearances of Cara Dillon, Roger Davies and Jon Strong on stage at the Montgomery Hall at the same time. (Note: the absence of a Cara Dillon review is due to the fact that this reviewer was on stage at the Sandygate whilst Miss Dillon was bringing tears to the eyes of the Guinness Boys. By all accounts, her performance was spectacular).
In his introduction to the Saturday evening concert, all round thoroughly decent chap Tony Dargan pointed out that the Wath Festival should be represented by its finest, and as Ruth and Gary Wells took to the stage, it most certainly was. Kicking off with "Over The Lancashire Hills", Ruth and Gary played an eclectic mix of concert favourites including Steve Knightley's "Exile", Johnny Mulhern's "Magdalene Laundry", and XTC's "Dear Madame Barnum". Ruth and Gary play a crucial part in the running of this festival and their absence would be like parents missing from a kids party, if ever they ever chose to have a year off.
Nancy Kerr and James Fagan's second appearance of the weekend, having already performed a set during the afternoon at the Sandygate, was received by an enthusiastic audience who instantly warmed to the duo's charms. Songs such as "Farewell To The Gold", "Allan Tyne of Harrow" and "Leaving Old England" couldn't fail to bring out the best in this Wath audience.
Believe it or not, Nancy Kerr and James Fagan(below) have been working together as a duo on the folk scene for twelve years now and in that time they have managed to make several albums, walk away with the Horizon Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2003, tour extensively throughout the world and make plenty of friends along the way. They appear to live and breathe their craft. They talk fluently about all aspects of traditional folk music and seem to absorb sponge-like all the influences made available to them. This is in no small part due to their celebrated lineage; Nancy's parents being the much loved singer Sandra Kerr and Northumbrian piper Ron Elliott and James hailing from the popular Australian family folk band that is 'The Fagans'.
The songs that evolve from such partnerships are an important part of traditional music, and I suppose in some small way are part of the make up of World Music in general. Taking parts of old English ballads and transforming them into something new, with a more Anglo/Australian emphasis, can only be a good thing.
In "Barbara Allen", one of the most popular of all ballads, Nancy adds her own composition "April Friend" not just as a song tagged onto the end, but interwoven, like inextricably clasped hands, and in doing so, breathes new life into an old song.
Rounding off Saturday night, Martyn Joseph was in Elvis mood. Twenty-nine albums on from the days when this young Cardiff songsmith was being launched as the new kid on the block, a lot of water has passed under the bridge and we now have our own version of Bruce Springsteen to dish out 
song after song of sheer brilliance. Highly prolific, Joseph tackles a multitude of themes and topics with the assurance of a seasoned rock star. He had 'a plan' for this performance, which he would not allow himself to divert from however much the man in the audience pleaded for a Joan Osborne song ("One of Us" was performed at Joseph's last appearance at the festival in 2003). He was on a mission. Songs from his new album 'Vegas' loomed large with "Weight of the World", "Things We Have Carried Here", "Fading of Light" and "Invisible Angel" seamlessly rubbing shoulders with more familiar fare "Proud Valley Boy", "Turn Me Tender" and the heartbreaking and personal "Can't Breath" from his 2005 'Deep Blue' album. One or two older songs were also revisited.