NORTHUMBRIAN MUSIC
NIGHTS
What we said about
The Pierre Schryer
Band
Pierre Schryer Band Wows 'em in Allendale
WOW! That's Canadian for 'what a super super night!' Last Saturday evening in Allendale's Village Hall, the Pierre Schryer Band finished their UK tour in grand style, and with the support of regulars from the Northumbrian Music Nights group, it was an all-around comprehensively wonderful night.
Dougie Law laid down a nice ambiance with some accomplished guitar work as the audience assembled, and then young Dorothy and Tom Lawrenson on their smallpipes provided the tourers with an exquisite taste of Northumberland. Ian Brown in a lovely clear voice provided some intriguing social commentary, and then a hush descended as the band took their places on stage.
Anticipation looked like receiving its just reward as the band immediately sent out a clear pure sound around the hall. There was a slight hiccouph when Brian Pickell lost one of his guitar strings, but it was quickly repaired and the band kept playing. You could tell there would be no stopping Pierre tonight. As young Paul laid down a crashing beat on his 'YaHaHa' keyboard, and Nathan Curry kept up tempo on bodhran, the jigs moved faster and ever faster. Was the fox caught by the end of 'Fox Chase?' It little matters as the music felt it would live forever.
A set of French tunes, finishing with 'Madame Renault' with Nathan on mandolin meant that the music was going up and down, round and about, flowing ever sweetly along. On to one of Pierre's own compositions, 'Cape Breton Dream' and then a melancholy one familiar to all of us from Aly Bain's own fiddle. Did the sound seem clearer, more infectious, than that of the lugubrious Shetlander, or was it just Pierre's seductive smile and twinkling eyes that made it seem so? Surely Pierre has not lived long enough to experience too much melancholy.
This was an evening for riotous good humour, anyway, eh [Canadian for 'right?'] and even the sorrowful Prince Edward Island song, describing emigration to Canada -- 'I left my native country, in 1882, my fortune to pursue' -- could not dampen the light-hearted optimism that one suspects is a Canadian characteristic.
As well as a cheerful inability to take oneself too seriously -- Nathan described the next, Scottish-influenced jigs and reels as the sort of music Canadians indulge in at 3:00 am when the lumberjacks start to pull on their tights. And 'Catfish Jake', 'Blood River Breakdown' and 'Heather Bond' were fast and furious fun, even when Brian broke another string.
Then it was Pierre's own 'New Canadian Waltz' which was certainly sweet enough, and remarkably evocative of Country old and new, but the final chord made a lump in the throat rise up and squeeze on the tear ducts. 'Dermott', 'My only sister' and 'Just for Curry' in lively fashion finished off the first set. But we didn't need any reminding that this band really was an incredibly tight ensemble, with a great deal of mutual respect between the musicians.
Back to a great welcome after the break and raffle, Pierre announced some Québecois tunes, to go with young Paul's birthday whose translated French was a running gag throughout the night. It was then that we knew we were in the thralls of an experience, as the audience riposted with a tuneful 'Happy Birthday', and then Mrs. White from Wensleydale from the back of the room brought down the house with the most affecting clear reprise of a traditional birthday greeting. Moments like these, when an accomplished band and a sophisticated audience become a shared and dynamic experience, are some of the best anyone can experience, anywhere.
Pierre showed off his dancing feet, which pounded out an amazing rhythm during the 'Two-Step Fair Knock' by Graham Thompson, and then moved into a set of 'Sally' tunes in the Texas long-bow tradition. Thank goodness it was the end of the tour, as Brian's guitar lost yet another string. It didn't take a genius to realise that there were some heart-strings being tugged too, as Brian's tune for Julie, 'Sour grass and granite' and 'Pierre's Right Arm' were gems of love.
Nathan's a capella rendition of 'Ottawa Valley', reminding us to 'save our money while we are young, for what will we do when we're old and working outside in the cold,' felt sooo frugally Canadian! But then we were transported to warm Algeria, for some clickety-click finger-snapping tunes, before moving back to the north St. Lawrence for a set of sitting-down jigs.
No way was there not going to be encore after encore, and Pierre, seductive charmer, claimed the crowd's emotions first by thanking and complimenting the Lawrenson pipe duet, and then by dedicating the thoughtful Cajun tune 'Lady be good' to young Peter Tickell. One sensed a remarkable kinship between musical families, across the great dividing water, and the sense that we are all an extended family entwined in a never-ending musical tradition was pervasive throughout the entire wonderful night.
