For an evening of therapeutic folk music, tapping into the gorgeous
tones of Kitty Macfarlane is the place to be. The only trappings required are a
beautiful voice, delicate guitar playing and a well-equipped songbook. The inaugural
album from this West Country performer may yet still need some extra impetus to
see the light of day, but the solo delivered ninety-minute live performance is
well on the way to be sealed. This date at the Kitchen Garden was Kitty’s
Birmingham debut show, which closely followed one a couple of months ago at the
nearby town of Bromsgrove. Indeed, it was a support slot at the Artrix there in
2016 that first alerted me to this talented artist and a keen eye subsequently
kept on her career since.
If Devon is the domain of the Lakemans and Dorset of
Ninebarrow, then the folk tales of Somerset are going to be safe in the hands
of Kitty MacFarlane as she develops her fledgling career. Admittedly, she is
now located in Bristol following a university stint in Warwick, but being born
and bred in the county has fired her up to continue to explore its heritage
through song.
Presently, Kitty’s repertoire represents a tidy balance
between the original, borrowed and interpreted song. This is after all folk
music, where the baton of tradition passes through a variety of song mediums.
Five of the songs featured in this evening’s show originated from a 2016 EP, which
provided Kitty a lift up into the recording world.
These included ‘Wrecking
Days’ and ‘Bus Stop’, which heralded
the closing of the first set and the opening of the second in the running order
of the show. Earlier, Kitty had elaborated on the song ‘Lamb’ from this recording with its inclusion of Hinkley Point nuclear power station as forming part of the vista of the North Somerset coastline. To
provide a wrap on the EP, the evening ended with the title track ‘Tide & Time’ and a cover version of
Tim Buckley’s ‘Song to the Siren’. The
latter really caught the ear when first seeing Kitty support Kathryn Roberts
and Sean Lakeman at that Bromsgrove gig, and it sounded just as sweet in the
encore spot this evening.
Possibly the sweetest moment of the show was a stunning a Capella
delivery of ‘Starling’ in the latter
stages of the second set. This song is based on the amazing visual experience of
witnessing the starling murmuration and presented an opportunity to slip into a
relaxed listening zone. Sometimes after a long day at work, a soothing song
performance can work wonders. Kitty actually began the evening in a similar
unaccompanied mode with a version of the traditional song ‘Morgan’s Pantry’. Immediately after finishing the number, she explained
its meaning of referring to Bristol Channel’s very own mermaid mythology. A
continuation of Somerset folklore rolled over into the myth of ‘Avona’, a doomed love story given eternal status via
some of the area’s most prominent landmarks.
This set the tone of the evening, which saw Kitty perfecting
the art of the inter-song chat and informative musings. An eloquent and assured
manner helped considerably, alongside affectionate warmth to ease the audience
into her fold. Perhaps the chat peaked with the wonderfully portrayed passion
for eel conservation. Kitty skilfully weaved the concept of freedom of movement
into ‘The Glass Eel’ with more than a
concealed nod to a political persuasion.
Alongside the Tim Buckley piece, a couple songs from David
Francey and Anne Briggs had an airing. The former’s ‘Saints and Sinners’ soared as the gig’s prime audience participation
moment, especially useful having an easily accessible and memorable chorus. ‘Go Your Way’ was the other borrowed
song. Other compositions resonating during the gig included the
autobiographical ‘17’, an adaption from
a William Blake poem ‘Man, Friendship’
and the sentimentally reassuring ‘Dawn
and Dark’.
As impressive as Kitty’s development is proving, there is room
for a little variation in the guitar-strummed pieces and maybe a killer chorus/melody
in an original number will provide a hook to propel her career forward onto a
higher plateau. However, time is on her side and a considerable asset base is
already gaining the attention of many acute observers on the English folk
scene.
Alongside artists such as Kirsty Merryn, Kelly Oliver, Emily
Mae Winters and Kim Lowings to name just four, Kitty Macfarlane is at the heart
of the wealth of young singer-songwriter/interpreter talent on the English folk
scene. Throw in the Scottish talents of Iona Fife and Siobhan Miller and the
list starts getting endless. Venues like the Kitchen Garden give them an ideal
listening environment and the opportunity to sharpen their craft. Kitty grasped
this chance and left those making it their evening of choice fully satisfied and
suitably impressed.
www.kittymacfarlane.com
