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Kathryn Tickell And The Side

Venue: The Atkinson
Town: Southport
Date: 29/10/14
Website: http://www.kathryntickell.com/

When Kathryn Tickell put together her latest band, she wanted to try something different, to create "different sound worlds with different instruments". Well, she has certainly done that with her brilliant new band Kathryn Tickell and The Side which features a unique and innovative line-up of Kathryn herself on Northumbrian pipes, fiddle and vocals; cellist Louisa Tuck; Celtic harpist Ruth Wall and accordionist/vocalist/clog dancer Amy Thatcher.

Whilst Kathryn and Amy come from a folk music background, Ruth and Louisa are classical musicians. Together, this all-female quartet have created a totally new sound, which appeals to both folk and classical audiences. The band's superb new album "Kathryn Tickell and The Side" is deeply rooted in the history and landscape of Kathryn's native Northumbria and tonight's concert showcased material from the new album [naturally].

From the opening "Stonehaugh" [written to celebrate the opening of a new village hall ], it was clear that the combination of accordion, cello, pipes, fiddle and clarsach [Celtic harp] was something very special.

The classical side of The Side was much in evidence on a lovely rendition of "New Minuet" by 17th century English composer Henry Purcell, which merged [flowed?] into Kathryn's "The Confluence", which refers to the imaginary meeting of the rivers Rede, Thames and Danube!

Amy's composition "Sideslip" was written to show the individual musical personalities of the band's members and did just that as each musician played a solo which was typical of their own, individual style.

Amy also demonstrated her considerable clog dancing skills whilst dancing to a pair of hornpipes, including the Redesdale Hornpipe. Kathryn related how Amy was taught how to clog dance by a particular teacher whilst at school in Stockport. Amy is certainly the most elegant clog dancer that I have ever seen!

Kathryn gave a rare vocal performance on her adaptation of a poem by Victorian poet Charles Swinburne. The poem was originally titled "A Match" but Kathryn has renamed it "Queen of Pleasure". Amy joined Kathryn on vocals for this flowery but slightly sinister love poem.

Keeping up the Northumbrian theme, the band launched into the "Dark Skies Waltz", which celebrates the fact that the area between Hadrian's Wall and the Scottish Borders has been awarded "Dark Sky Status" due to its lack of light pollution at night.

Kathryn's solo piece was a piper's showpiece called "Raindrops" by her inspiration, Northumbrian piper, Billy Pigg. Kathryn's virtuosity on the pipes was clearly evident as she played the tune faster and faster until it achieved terminal velocity.

The marriage of folk and classical music by this remarkable band was epitomised by its playing of two stunning versions of a traditional folk tune, "Waters of Tyne". The first part, which followed the traditional tune, was played by Amy and Kathryn whilst the second part, a radical reconstruction by classical composer Augustin Fernandez, was beautifully realised by Louisa and Ruth on cello and harp respectively. This superb fusion of two musical worlds encapsulated the adventurous nature of this wonderful project. I sense that this is just the beginning.

Peter Cowley
photocredit:Mark Savage

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