There may be homecomings in grander surroundings in the future such as the Town or Symphony Hall, but few would have as much meaning as two sold out evenings at the Kitchen Garden with all the venue aura and pin drop tranquility thrown in. She may have been active on the circuit for a number of years (a 2014 show was mentioned). yet 2021 will always be known as Katherine Priddy's breakthrough year. Evidence circulates around the reaction to her debut full length album released on Navigator Records and the horizons it permeated to broaden the appeal. Tickets for these two intimate shows were quickly snapped up and the chosen few were dealt a stunning performance of music wrapped in a rich swathe of tendered beauty.
Although her standing on the local circuit as been cut as a solo performer, hooking up with Northallerton-based singer-songwriter-guitarist George Boomsma has proved a decisive move as witnessed by the way they gelled during the second of the two sold out shows (assuringly on the first as well). For just over an hour the pair navigated a setlist of fifteen tracks mixing most from the aforementioned album THE ETERNAL ROCKS BENEATH with a sprinkling of some older numbers and new songs in various stages of development.
'Wolf' as a recorded song has been around for quite a while even prior to being the title track of a 2019 EP. However it has soared to the status of one of the dominant songs of 2021. We didn't quite have the lavish arrangement of the album track this evening, but an introduction of a link to Wuthering Heights and Heathcliff's position between love and hate shared a dimension not picked up from multiple recorded plays.
Track after track from the album soaked into a deeply anticipated Kitchen Garden atmosphere. The electric guitar from Boomsma was delicate and deft; the vocals of Priddy forever pristine and serene. The gel melded two performers into one especially when harmonies were added. This was punctuated by moments of necessary solo delivery as required for the diligently introduced 'The Isle of Eigg' and a delve into the pantheon of the love song for 'Northern Sunrise'.
A love for Greek mythology influences songs such as 'Icarus' and 'Eurydice', while a more contemporary infatuation brought a finely crafted version of Nick Drake's 'Black Eyed Dog' to the table. Safely in the knowledge that Gabrielle Drake wasn't sitting in the front row like the previous evening, although approval was forthcoming.
While Katherine Priddy is throughly embedded in the British folk scene, perhaps more contemporary than traditional, there was a slight deviation in the encore where she took a lead from her partner on the evening. 'Dink Song' was a piece introduced via the US throwback folk movie Inside Llewyn Davis and the finale an eventual brand new co-write titled 'Ready to Go' even had strains of a country duet.
Other key moments from a highly informative and revealing evening was a yet to be named song in honour of Katherine's father and tip to the season with the playing of 'Still Winter, Still Waiting'. The latter a lockdown single just celebrating its first anniversary.
Ahead of the main event, George Boomsma took to the stage to share his brand of softly spun folk songs for the allotted half hour support slot. The most impressive of the offerings was an a cappella number to showcase a voice to match the undoubted guitar skills that flourished across the evening.
If 2021 was the breakthrough year in terms of album reach, 2022 could extend to the live impact. In the vicinity of these two homecoming gigs, a main stage slot at the prestigious Cambridge Folk Festival and a first show in Ireland have been announced. It will also be interesting to see where she plays Birmingham gigs in the future. Premium venues have been played before in support roles, and while the Kitchen will always remain special, numbers present a limitation. What these two evenings brought to the party was full confirmation of Katherine Priddy as a hugely impressive vocalist, song writer and immensely amenable performer. Many already knew. A lot more do now.