Northumbrian Voices

Fantastic concert Saturday night at The Sage music venue in Gateshead by Kathryn Tickell and her father Mike Tickell plus four more musicians. Kathryn has almost single-handedly revived interest among the young in the Northumbrian pipes – a far mellower and evocative instrument than the Scottish pipes. Her "Piper's lament" is plaintive enough to make you cry. Mike is a consummate story-teller and songster, keeping alive the vocal traditions of the north.

Kathryn, center, flanked by Hannah on right and Patsy on left,
with Mike on far left. Even singing, Kathryn cannot keep still!

The "voices" of the concert title were words from the mouths of relatives and older musicians in the North Tyne area, recorded by Kathryn over the years and reproduced by the group in read format, often in dialog, between tunes. They focussed on several themes: "The Fiddle", "Learning", "Getting Together", and "Hard Times" in Part 1, and "The Quadbike, Marts & Pubs", "The Feisty Gamecock", "Wildflowers and Grass", "Changes", and "It's Part of You" in Part 2.

The three fiddlers, caught in action with zoom lens
from 2nd balcony. Kathryn rocks!

I never did find out what 'marts' are, and it was a struggle sometimes to understand the dialect words and accents, but it was a wonderful production, so intimate, so revealing. I particularly liked Kathryn's mother's words of a affection for the landscape she grew up in, swelling the heart upon every viewing. I feel the same way about the Rocky Mountains I grew up near, but I don't think many people these days have such an identification with the natural world.

The other day I had to wait a half an hour for something; this was one of the hot days we are having here, so I found a patch of grass and lay down looking at the blue sky. The smell of the grass and the jetliner passing overhead reminded me of my childhood when I used to lie for hours under the cottonwood tree watching the clouds. Every once in a while, a small prop plane would fly overhead, someone going somewhere, doing something, and it made me think of my life – where would I be going, what would I be doing.... That's what I mean by the Tickell concert being intimate and evocative. Anyway now I know where I went and what I've done, and I will surely be going to the next Kathryn Tickell concert if I can.

Learn more about Kathryn at www.kathryntickell.com.