Under One Sky @ Perth Concert Hall

Dec 9 2008 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

CHRISTMAS came early when the best in traditional music from Scotland and England came to Perth all gift-wrapped by multi-talented John McCusker and the Scottish Arts Council’s Tune Up tours programme.

Wrapped up in parcels of sweet music were 12 of the very best, including John, Julie Fowlis, Roddy Woomble (swapping his Idlewild mantle for his folkie jumper), Norman Blake (of Teenage Fanclub) and the towering presence of John Tams, winner of six BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, plus Santa’s secret surprise in the form of Jim Causley all the way from Devon.

The main focus of the evening was Under One Sky – a commission John undertook a couple of years ago for Celtic Connections and the Cambridge Folk Festival.

It was aired just twice, until John decided to re-muster his friends to take Under One Sky out on an 11-venue tour, which thankfully took in Perth Concert Hall.

Even before the first note sounded, the event was something of a triumph. With each of the talented dozen leading busy lives, just getting them together for the tour was an achievement for all involved.

“I’m really chuffed the whole gang is back together,” said the affable John, who himself has had a fantastic 2008 including being part of Mark Knopfler’s world tour.

The first half of this musical celebration gave each highly-acclaimed artist the opportunity to ‘do their own thing’, and because each one does their thing exceptionally well, the fair-sized audience relished opening up parcel after parcel of superb songs and tunes .

For many in the audience the talents of McCusker, Fowlis, Woomble, Blake, piper Iain MacDonald, bassist Ewen Vernal and guitarist Ian Carr was familiarly enjoyable territory; it was the musical treats from south of the border proving the icing on the cake. Emma Reid’s fiddle was exquisite, Andy Cutting omnipresent with his squeeze box, and Jim Causley with his beautiful Devonian baritone voice and impish sense of humour.

Then there was the towering presence of the ensemble’s elder statesman, John Tams, magnificent with The Ship, the title track from the Bill Bryden/Phil Cunningham 1990 epic about the decline of shipbuilding on the Clyde.

The post-interval music was a performance in its entirety of Under One Sky – seven pieces of music, most of them written by John McCusker, with his guests putting words to some of them.

All highly entertaining, and performed to the highest standard by musicians whose enthusiasm was tangible.

The temptation was to be greedy and want to hear more from this huge measure of gigantic talent. But all good things had to come to an end, and what an end it was! The encore was led by John Tams singing Only Remembered (The Govan Anthem) from The Ship.

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