Fara, Lemon Tree, Aberdeen

Opening the show was local singer/songwriter Josephine Anthony.  She'd make the perfect folk club resident - confident, interesting, a decent singer and guitarist.  More finger work than the average strummer, strong voice in the upper notes, a bit wavery lower down, but not enough to stop her singing being very enjoyable.  Some good songs too, and nice to hear a pro-Indy number in the set.

Orcadian supergroup Fara are fiddlers Kirsten Harvey, Jeana Leslie and Catriona Price, with Jennifer Austin on keyboards.  They sing too, with Leslie taking most of the lead vocal work.  Their abilities are very much steeped in the tradition, but most of their material is self penned, working both individually and collectively.  Several of the songs are existing poems set to their own tunes.

Their playing is a delight.  Sensitive, exciting, with complex interplay and memorable melodies, their mutual understanding and empathy shine through.  Leslie has a fine, clear voice, the others contributing some gentle harmonies, but it's the music that matter most.  All three fiddlers impress hugely, but so often the key to their overall sound lies in the clever accompaniments of Austin.  And a highlight of the set came when the fiddlers left the stage to her solo rendition of her own tune, Maxwell's Light, a hauntingly beautiful tune.

All four take turns at introducing the numbers, with several laughs along the way, their pleasure in being on stage clear to see.  They're an engaging live presence, and a delight to listen to.  The Orkney musical tradition is in very good hands.