Smile though your heart is breaking
Katherine Crowe and The Ballacottier School Choir
ANNIE Lennox - she sounds like Annie Lennox when she lifted her voice and allowed the gorgeous tones to soar through the Gaiety Theatre on Friday night.
Katherine Crowe has an unusual talent. A singer-songwriter of note and considerable reputation, she used her talents and powers of persuasion to bring together one of the most illustrious line-ups of Manx musicians ever seen in one place.
Following an emotional introduction by Matt Creer, Kath came on to the stage to tumultuous applause to duet Windmills of my Mind with Louise Earner. The whole evening was one of warmth and friendliness. Kath is very much loved and it showed in the way the music flowed from the heart.
Very much an evening of original music from singer-songwriters, Kath duetted with Matt Creer on one of his best known and loved songs Lanterns before introducing Richard Walters, a much-admired songwriter who performed a series of gentle ballads with cellist Martin Radford.
It was easy to hear the Nick Drake influence on the arrangements of songs that spoke from the heart culminating with a duet with Kath of Snowdrift. Kath then introduced a rising talent, Paul Geddes who was making his big stage debut and sang and played guitar beautifully to the song The End accompanied by Chris Glaister on the piano. The surprise of the evening was an appearance by the mellifluous Christine Collister, whose thrilling contralto never fails to move; they sang Lord I Feel Like Going Home and Amazing Grace, adding a spiritual feel to the evening, particularly when the Ballacottier School Choir came on.
The second set included a version of Hurt with a full band including Simon Campbell, John Cleator and Richard Raine followed by the Rolling Stones’ most romantic ballad, Wild Horses. Beverley Craven was funny, clever and very witty with a dry sense of humour describing (as so many acts did) how they were bullied by Kath to take part in the show. It was very tongue in cheek and a testimony to how much Kath means to people that they will get on a plane and join her. Her set was great - Love Scenes (aka You Complete Bastard about a boyfriend who ran off with another girl), Woman to Woman (about Alison Goldfrapp who stole her boyfriend) a lovely hymn to her daughter Molly which was almost a waltz and finally a duet with Kath on Promise me. A lovely set from a very talented singer-songwriter.
Kath finished off the concert with her self penned Missionary Girl, then a duet with her Porn Monkey husband Andy of Evanescence’s Bring Me To Life which combined both their musical tastes. Considering Kath’s health, that was upsetting but then she brought the school choir back on and sang Coldplay’s Fix You which almost finished us, the adoring audience, off.
Then she sang softly Smile, Though Your Heart is Breaking which reduced her, and us, to tears.
A beautiful concert for and by a beautiful woman. Kath Crowe - we salute you.
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Weather for Isle of Man
Monday 20 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 7 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
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