I was a bit uncertain about this venue, as it was a civic auditorium attached to a High School, but it was just fine. The sound was quite good, and my seat in Row B (which turned out to be five rows back) gave me a nice view of everyone on stage. Piano took center stage, flanked by a keyboard, with the harp brought out front as needed. From left to right around and behind Loreena were Brian Hughes (acoustic and electric guitar, oud, bouzouki), Ben Grossman (hurdy gurdy, percussion), Rick Lazar (percussion), Tal Bergman (drums, percussion), Tim Landers (acoustic and electric bass), Stratis Psaradellis (lyra, Greek lute), and Donald Quan(viola, keyboards, tabla, accordion), with the lovely Caroline Lavelle (cello) almost directly in front of me near the front of the stage and Hugh Marsh (violin) on her left.
The eclectic mix of instruments and the versatility of several of the musicians led to a variety of arrangements, sometimes sparse, sometimes intricate, but never cluttered. The musicians were clearly enjoying themselves, and they made it all seem effortless. It was a treat seeing a hurdy-gurdy for the first time, and I don't think I've seen a harp in a featured role since the late, great Derek Bell's days with the Chieftains.
Despite owning (and liking) The Book of Secrets for nearly a decade, I didn't really fully appreciate Loreena's talents until I saw the Alhambra DVD. she can left her voice float out softly, or send it soaring along. Most of the time it's sweet, but at times she puts a nice edge on it. Some songs featured all of these characteristics. I thought she was utterly charming on stage, introducing some of her songs with stories of her travels and those of the Celts. After the show, it was a pleasure to exchange brief pleasantries with her and shake one of the hands that made such magic on the harp.
Set 1:
She Moved Through The Fair - The evening started with Stratis Psaradellis' lyra as one of the featured instruments, joined by Loreena on harp and little else. It was a great way to ease into the night.
The Gates of Istanbul - Volume and tempo picked up considerably with this number, with Loreena switching to keyboards and nearly half of the ensemble on percussion. Brian Hughes started out on oud, switching to bouzouki for a nifty solo.
The Mummer's Dance - Loreena was on accordion for this lively song, as the hurdy gurdy made it's first appearance, along with more nice oud play.
Bonny Portmore - This was one of the (many) highlights for me, as Loreena's voice gently sauntered forth then flew high, shadowed by the cello and string bass, with the harp glittering all round.
Marco Polo - Loreena was again on accordion, joined by lyra, hurdy gurdy, strings and a nice mix of percussion.
The Highwayman - Another fine song from The Book of Secrets featured Loreena on piano. the bodhran made its first appearance of the night.
Dante's Prayer - Loreena remained on piano, and Caroline Lavelle's cello was sublime.
The Bonny Swans - Another of my favorites, this featured a guitar solo worthy of David Gilmour, and Brian Hughes and Hugh Marsh trading licks at the end.
Caravanserai - Loreena switch from piano back to harp for one of my favorites from An Ancient Muse; it was a great finish to the first set.
Set 2:
Raglan Road - Ah, now, this song had been a bit vexing for me when I first heard it on the DVD a few weeks ago. I was so enamoured of Joan Osbourne rendition on the Chieftains' Tears of Stones, I had a hard time getting used to Loreena's rendition. This was my fault, no one else's. A loose analogy would be paddling a stretch of whitewater that I was familiar with, but with a substantially higher or lower current than I was used to. In other words, I knew pretty well how it went, but it just didn't "flow" quite right. I got used to it quickly in this setting though: who couldn't love the delicate treatment of piano, vocals and cello?
The Mystic's Dream - Lyra and hurdy gurdy kicked this one off, with great solos on violin and oud later on.
Santiago - Loreena picked up the accordion for this lively romp.
The Lady of Shalott - Donald Quan played accordion for this lovely, lovely song, as Loreena's harp was joined by bouzouki and a trio of strings (bass, cello, violin).
The Old Ways - Caroline provided more exquisite cello to accompany Loreena on piano, along with acoustic guitar and lute.
Never Ending Road (Amhran Duit) - Loreena finished off the second set on piano, joined by the string trio, acoustic guitar, and keyboards.
Encore:
Huron 'Beltane' Fire Dance - Loreena (harp) and the band had a good time on this lively number.
Penelope's Song - Dedicated to all those who have lost their lives in the service of others, this lovely song was performed by Loreena on piano, along with a string quartet of sorts (Donald joining in on viola), guitar, and lute.
The preceding is thoroughly inadequate, but hopefully it provides a glimpse of the variety and splendor of the evening. Descriptions of the arrangements are far from complete, and I likely have some of the details wrong. I barely mentioned some of the musicians, but trust me, I relished each of their contributions.
I'm looking forward to seeing the show again next week.
Christine, thank you for your kindness towards the fans!
Thanks for posting the set list! I've been lucky enough to see three shows this year - first in London, UK, then Kalamazoo, MI, finally Cleveland. All have been wonderful, but it seems that Loreena has added more commentary each show concerning her travels and inspiration for the songs, and this has enhanced the performance. We took along friends who had never heard of her, and they really enjoyed the "travelogue" as well as seeing the more unusual musical instruments. She now has two new fans!
Posts: 4 | Location: Indiana, USA | Registered: April 11, 2007
Lucky you, Chuck! Unfortunately, I just found out that I have to take my mom to the doc's that afternoon, so I won't be able to drive to Pittsburgh after all ... ah, well. Next time, I guess.
Posts: 29 | Location: Greater Cleveland, Ohio, USA | Registered: October 14, 2007
