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Twelfth Day

Venue: The Forest Café
Town: Edinburgh
Date: 9/6/14
Website: http://twelfthdaymusic.com

Twelfth Day are Edinburgh-based duo Catriona Price (fiddle and vocals) from Orkney and Peebles-born Esther Swift (harp and vocals). The band was formed in 2006, when the two girls were still studying at Manchester's Royal Northern College of Music. Twelfth Day's debut album, "Northern Quarter", was released in 2010 and a collaborative album with Gaelic singer, Joy Dunlop, entitled "Fiere", followed in 2012. In 2013, Twelfth Day released "Speak From The Start", an EP of imaginative covers of songs by Morrisey, Kanye West, Blondie and others.

With their bold arrangements and a unique chamber/folk aspect to their sound, Twelfth Day are widely regarded as one of the most innovative young bands on the British contemporary folk scene. Previews of the new Twelfth Day album, "The Devil Makes Three", were very positive and I went along to their album launch gig at Edinburgh's Forest Café on the release date of 9th June expecting something a wee bit special.

This intimate basement venue allowed the charming and infectious personalities of Esther and Catriona to come to the fore and they established an immediate rapport with the audience. Their strong friendship and passion for the music shone through as they took turns to introduce the songs and tunes.

Twelfth Day delivered an impeccable re-creation of "The Devil Makes Three" album, playing the songs/tunes in sequence and demonstrating just how well these fit together as an integrated, varied and compelling body of work. Their beautifully harmonised vocals and masterly fiddle and harp playing were a delight from start to finish.

The three instrumentals, "Me And My Friend"; "Swimming Safe"; and "The Beach" (inspired by one of Catriona's favourite spots in Orkney) produced sparkling interplay between harp and fiddle and showed a real flair for composition.

Every song from the album was performed immaculately. Starting with ethereal a Capella vocals, "Noise Slow" warned of the threat to our wildlife from noise pollution. "Magic Circles" (inspired by a painting by Alan Davie, the notable Scottish artist who died just two months ago) was breezy and percussive, featuring captivating vocal harmonies. Following a lilting musical intro, "Young Sir" fairly romped along, unfolding a modern and mischievous twist on the traditional tales of young Scottish lasses crossing the border into England in search of love and prosperity. Watch out for the accompanying video, directed by Esther's brother, Tom Swift.

Inspired by the girls' adopted home of Edinburgh, "A City You Can See Out Of" offered delicately wistful vocals. "Shapeshifter", with its insistent rhythms and shifts in mood and tempo, told of the inadvisability of falling for the seductive charms of a 'selkie' (a mythological seal-like creature which takes human form when out of the water). The epic title song "The Devil Makes Three" (adapted from the traditional song "Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby" featured in the "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" film soundtrack) began as an enchanting lullaby and then built steadily towards a super-charged, foot-stomping hoedown of a finish. In contrast, the closing song, "Dusking", maintained its soothing effect all the way through - Esther quipped that her landlady, while admiring this song, had thought that it was about dusting!

Twelfth Day have grown noticeably in stature since I first saw them live at the Edinburgh International Harp Festival last spring and, on the evidence of this exceptional gig and an excellent new album, their musical future looks very bright indeed.

David Ferguson