Established in 1973, the Edinburgh Folk Club was represented at the Fringe for the first time this year with a showcase at the Acoustic Music Centre at St Bride’s that displayed some top-quality Scottish talent.
The first act was Wendy Weatherby and her band, a five-piece group who played a mixture of traditional Robert Burns and some of their own creation. The majority were carried out with Weatherby as singer but the band really came alive when she played her cello: these were generally her own songs and made for a much richer ensemble.
Following Weatherby was Battlefield Band founder Brian McNeill, who walked onto the stage and instantly owned the space, clearly demonstrating his 40 years of performing experience. McNeill played a variety of instruments: the majority were stringed, ranging from guitars to an electric fiddle that imitated the sound of a cello. His playing was sublime; I often found myself transfixed by his enigmatic style. He told unique, fascinating stories about his songs, especially his song Copenhagen, which was inspired by a Danish ship that sank in the south Atlantic in the early 20th century without a trace. With such great storytelling it was difficult not to be drawn into the emotion of his songs.
The six of them came together at the end of the show to play a number of instrumental pieces. These were glorious and created a truly magical collection of sounds. It was here that the acoustic of the church venue really came into its own. More than once I caught myself shutting my eyes to let the music wash over me. I wasn’t the only one.
