Image by Nigel Cooke (www.nigelcookephotography.com)
Natalie Merchant looked very striking as she stepped on stage this evening. Dressed all in black, lips accented in pillar-box red, the performer launched straight into song and paced the stage, giving the photographers in the pit some great shots at the same time!
Finishing the set with the help from Irish quintet Lunasa, Natalie lived up to her all-star status. We could have listened to her all night!
Natalie brought back the passion of my youth, but with the emotional intensity that can only be acquired with age. I nearly lost it during Crazy Man Michael, when I swear the ghost of Sandy Denny was in the room. It was wonderful to hear some of the songs from her last two albums that she didn't play on the recent tour...Isabel being a highlight. My hopes turned into reality as she was joined by Lunasa. We certainly could have listened ALL night. Thank you, thank you. Thank you, thank you.
The Cambridge Folk Festival is one of the premier music events in Europe and one of the longest running and most famous folk festivals in the world. It has become hugely popular and a regular sell out attracting ten thousand people, many of whom return year after year.
The Festival is renowned for its eclectic mix of music and a wide definition of what might be considered folk. The best traditional folk artists from the UK and Ireland rub shoulders with more contemporary acts, the finest American country, blues and roots artists, acclaimed singer songwriters and even the odd pop star. Bluegrass, gospel, cajun, zydeco, jazz, world, klezmer and a ceilidh are also regular features. The line up has reflected the many changes in the music scene from the 60s to the present and is always a hotbed mix of the old and the new. The list of performers who have appeared reads like a who’s who and the Festival has been a launching pad for many now well known artists.
Natalie brought back the passion of my youth, but with the emotional intensity that can only be acquired with age. I nearly lost it during Crazy Man Michael, when I swear the ghost of Sandy Denny was in the room. It was wonderful to hear some of the songs from her last two albums that she didn't play on the recent tour...Isabel being a highlight. My hopes turned into reality as she was joined by Lunasa. We certainly could have listened ALL night. Thank you, thank you. Thank you, thank you.
ReplyDelete