Preview

An 11 date tour of world class Welsh traditional music and words is criss-crossing Wales this spring and comes to the Talbot Hotel this evening. The tour is the first of six planned over the next three years that aims to raise the profile of Welsh music and legend here within Wales. Each concert will mix rural and urban traditions, English and Welsh language culture and dynamic styles with more restrained, intimate pieces

Developed by the arts development agency Creu Cymru, the tours are being supported by the world-renowned Rough Guides brand. The concerts aim to give an introduction to Welsh traditions with a distinct 21st century flavour. In line with the Rough Guides support, the concerts will take the audience on an exploration of the rich heritage of Wales and discover some of its best kept secrets.

The first concert of The Rough Guide to Cymru, in April and May, will see Fernhill, Wales’ leading traditional band, teamed with John Morgan, a relatively unknown concertina player from Bridgend. They will be joined by Ifor ap Glyn, a hard-hitting contemporary performance poet.

Fernhill have been described as ‘the band at the heart of the Welsh renaissance’ by MOJO magazine. They create a new musical landscape from the indigenous dance rhythms and folk poetry of Wales. Fernhill have become cultural ambassadors for Wales, and its music, having toured to over 20 countries including performances for the King of Swaziland and the President of Mozambique. Fronted by the passionate signing of Julie Murphy, Fernhill combine guitar, fiddle, double bass and trumpet to produce a sound both gutsy and enchanting.

Primary school Deputy Head John Morgan escapes from the classroom for the tour, providing a rare opportunity to hear his virtuoso concertina playing. Concentrating on the little known Welsh repertoire for this instrument, John will provide a restful, intimate foil to the dynamic playing of Fernhill.

Ifor ap Glyn will perform some of the poetry which landed him the poetry crown at the 1999 National Eisteddfod. Backed by images and music, Ifor’s poetry will have live subtitling in English so all can appreciate his award winning style.

Review

In the interests of candour, it must be admitted that your reviewer was somewhat underwhelmed by Fernhill. They're 'at the heart of the Welsh renaissance', for sure, but we'd hoped for a little more oomph: from what we've seen of other leading folk bands (in particular the unforgettable La Volee d'Castors), a higher proportion of 'up' material and a degree of attack is pretty much the norm these days.

Julie Murphy's sublime voice is the heart of the band, but the current line-up (not the one we were originally offered) smoulders but rarely catches fire, settling instead for a uniformly restrained approach. To be fair, this was only the second night of their extensive 'Rough Guide to Wales' tour, together with concertina player John Morgan and the entertaining contemporary performance bard Ifor ap Glyn, and the audience (with some welcome new faces) gave a warm response. I dunno, maybe it's just me...