Transatlantic song voyagers set sail

Apr 24 2009 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

SEVEN top-notch musicians take a break from their regular bands and join forces to take their cross-cultural concert, Going Across the Sea, on a 13-date tour which comes to Perth on Monday, April 27.

Going Across the Sea is part of this year’s line-up of tours under the hugely successful Scottish Arts Council’s Tune Up initiative.

The Going Across the Sea line-up is Scotland’s Kris Drever (Lau), Sarah McFadyen (Harem Scarem), and Tim Matthew (Mystery Juice and The Fence Collective); Irishman Eamonn Coyne (Salsa Celtica); Betse Ellis from Missouri (The Wilders); and from Oregon, Caleb Klauder and Sammy Lind (Foghorn String Band).

Their cross-cultural concert will feature performances of traditional songs which migrated from Scotland and Ireland to the US and back again.

Going Across the Sea all started with Betse Ellis and Tim Matthew trading Scottish and American fiddle tunes at an Edinburgh Festival Fringe session, and remarking: “We ought to do this more often.”

The Perth concert is in Redrooms at Perth Theatre – part of the Monday Night Thing series of events – with tickets for what promises to be an exceptional evening priced just £12 (concessions £10).