Bella was returning to the MAC in Birmingham just under a
year since her last visit to the venue as part of the 30 shows project to
celebrate her 30th birthday. This time the tour had the purpose of promoting
the latest album, WITH THE DAWN, and in the week that Bella metaphorically
handed over the BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer of the Year crown to Nancy Kerr, she was in
a buoyant mood to share the treasures from this excellent new record. Like all
potentially great albums, the tracks require some intense initial listening, but
gradually the enormity of their worth unravels in good time. Bella introduced
ten of the eleven tracks to an audience enthusiastic in their appreciation and
generous in their response to the album's availability at the merch table.
The album’s two opening tracks, ‘The Only Thing to Do’ and ‘First
Light of the Morning’, also played a similar a role in this evening’s event
which rolled out in the usual format of a pair of sets, with the second lasting
a little longer than the opening 45 minute one. Having been fortunate to access a
pre-release copy, it was wonderful to get a live confirmation that ‘Oh! My God! I Miss You’ is just as good
in a theatre setting as it is on record. As per usual one track increased its
level of appreciation with a live airing and on this occasion ‘Gifts’ came on leaps and bounds.
Of course the stories behind the songs are an integral part
of any folk gig and Bella is as engaging as you could wish for. From the new
album, we learned of her Canadian experience and a liaison with Cara Luft when
introducing ‘Time Wanders On’. Maybe
the most enlightening tale from WITH THE DAWN was the characters that painted a
picture of The Great War from a female perspective in ‘Jolly Good Luck to the Girl That Loves a Soldier’. Listening to a
raft of songs from this record live vastly raised its appreciation level and in
time it is likely to rival her other widely acclaimed releases.
‘Herring Girl’ is
one of Bella’s most popular older songs and, like herself, a previous award
winner. Tonight’s performance was complete with the background story plus extra contributions from Anna and Tom. Other older songs to feature were the
requested ‘Three Pieces of My Heart’,
Bella’s offering to the Elizabethan Sessions project ‘Hatfield’ and the absolutely
fantastic ‘Walk it With You’. This
last song showcases her production versatility in a positive glow as it almost
comes across with mature pop sensibilities. By the time Bella returned to her
fiddle to play the specially written encore tune ‘Foolish Trouble Farewell’, everybody in the building had been given
a stark reminder of why Bella is such a highly rated performer.