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The Bailey Sisters First Gig

On Friday 11th December 2009 The Bailey Sisters played their first ever full length gig. Thanks to a Facebook invitation, I was aware of the gig, and being free and relatively local decided to go. We had hoped to go “en famille” but when this proved impossible I went anyway and I’m very glad that I did.

The venue was a little unusual, the Victorian gothic parish church of St Michaels in Cornholme, but it proved an ideal setting with the acoustics being well suited to the close harmony singing and the recorders and fiddle played without amplification. The only limitation was Karen Dyson’s guitar, which did not carry well enough to stand up against the voices and other instruments. Some subtle amplification of the guitar would have led to a better balance.

The event was also unusual in that firstly it had a title “Four Seasons in Song” and secondly we were provided with a printed programme listing all of the songs and a little bit about the background of each one, a nice touch. The programme also provided words to all the choruses to encourage audience participation.

The title was amply justified as the first half provided a series of songs passing through the four seasons from Spring to Winter. Mostly it was traditional material given a fresh breath of life by the excellent close harmony of the three voices and the sensitive accompaniment on some songs of Karen Dyson’s guitar and Alyson Rainey’s evocative fiddle playing. However newer songs also featured with Karine Polwart’s “Follow the Heron Home and Ewan McColl’s “Sweet Thames Flow Softly.” We were also treated to a recorder ensemble on some numbers as all three displayed their virtuosity on a range of recorders.

Having travelled through the year, a short interval saw snacks and mulled win served before we returned for a second set that began with a few songs that did not fit into the theme of the seasons. Karen Dyson’s song “Navigator” showed that the trio have a songwriter of quality in their midst. Hopefully this will continue to provide fresh material to complement the songs that they learn from elsewhere. Another delight of this section was a lovely version of “The Mill Girl’s Lullaby” featuring a solo vocal by our very own Shelley.

Finally it was time for the festive season, and if the content owed a significant nod in the direction of The Carnival Band, there was more to it than just that. Bells of Paradise was a particular favourite of mine, having lived in Castleton and been familiar with many of the Castleton Carols.

For an encore the three ladies led the audience in singing “Silent Night,” a fitting way to end an excellent evening.

So look out for the Bailey Sisters. If this is what they can produce on a first gig, then with a few more road miles under their belts they should be truly extraordinary. And for those who missed this momentous occasion, it was recorded for a possible live CD, so all is not lost.

Finally a big thank you to The Bailey Sisters themselves, Shelley, Karen and Alyson for a night of wonderful music and also to the people of St Michael’s church who provided such a welcoming venue.

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