Perth Festival review of Mr McFall’s Chamber with Michael Marra

May 28 2010 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

ONE of the gems on the festival programme was the marriage-made-in-heaven between National Treasure Michael Marra and the talented and eclectic Mr McFall’s Chamber.

The six-piece Mr McFall's Chamber have entertained Perth audiences before with their adventurous forays into unusual musical territories. On this current tour, which took in Perth Festival, the ensemble of colourful characters doubling as excellent, versatile musicians included cellist and musical saw maestro Su-a Lee and Phil Alexander. While Phil’s musical path usually follows that of a jazz pianist, his McFall’s role was as accordionist and player of the seldom-seen and heard harmonium.

This fairly-well attended concert was a trip in time and travel, setting sail with a busy little piece of accordion music from Finland.

A bearded Michael Marra then took us to the Canadian wilderness for his ‘Lonesome Death of Francis Clark’ – introduced, as were all his songs, in the Dundonian’s inimitable, audience-connecting style.

Marra and his piano are always a top act, and the exquisite chamber arrangements lifted his work to an even higher level.

His repertoire was mainly of his own songs. His lyrics are often funny and always perceptive, and his songs also cover topics which are moving and weighty.

His performances of Burns’ The Slave's Lament, and the Green Grow the Rashes, O showed how well the musical collaboration works between Marra and Mr McFall’s.

The uplifting instrumental numbers took in folk-influenced classical music from the Czech Republic, Argentinean tango and a cheeky slow Conga from Cuba.

The audience filed out of the theatre with a sense of contentment after this enjoyable and entertaining evening had concluded with Marra’s toe-tapping tribute to Perthshire musicians past and current – Niel Gow and Dougie MacLean – entitled Niel Gow’s Apprentice.

Alison Anderson