Clannad and Mary Black at The Lowry Review
Clannad and Mary Black
The Lowry, Manchester
Saturday 15 March 2014
Reviewed by Catherine Joyce
We visited The Lowry Theatre in Salford, Manchester to see the legendary Clannad and Mary Black. The theatre is very easy to get to as it is just off the motorway and there is plenty of parking in the large multi storey car park which is next to the theatre. If you eat in one of the restaurants at The Lowry Centre you can park for free, otherwise it costs around £5.50. The theatre is lovely and clean and all the staff are helpful and friendly. All the seats have a good view of the stage and there is ample leg room.
Whilst I am familiar with Clannad and know their music quite well, I have to be honest and admit that I’d never heard of Mary Black before this concert although it seems that I’m the one that’s been missing out!
Mary Black is a major name in Irish music, singing a wide range of music from folk to more contemporary numbers and put on a fantastic performance. The night started with Mary and her four piece band playing a selection of their music. Mary had a great rapport with the audience, introducing each song and also explaining why it was special to her. Although Mary and her band were playing to a full house the music still retained the intimate feel of a much smaller venue.
After an interval Clannad took to the stage; a family band formed in 1970 they shot to fame in the eighties writing music for several popular TV series and films. Following their success the band took a break but has now re-formed and taken to the road again. Clannad started their set with a selection of numbers from their new album Nádúr. Tracks like “Vellum” and “Rhapsody na gCrann” show that they have not lost the ability to skilfully blend traditional Irish tunes with a more modern sound. For me, “Turas Dhómhsa chon na Galldachd” was my favourite of the new songs showing just how well the voices of the five members work together. The band then moved onto some of their older, well known numbers. The “Robin Hood” medley brought back many memories for me and the themes from The Last of the Mohicans and Harry’s Game certainly pleased the audience. The majority of the songs are in Gaelic which meant I could lose myself in the music rather than concentrating too much on the words. All the musicians were outstanding, Moya played the harp in a number of songs and Pól swapped between keyboard, penny whistle, guitar and flute seamlessly, even managing to play the flute and keyboard simultaneously in on one song! Highlights are difficult to choose but Moya’s beautiful voice and her playing of the harp will sit in my memory for some time.
As a finalé Mary and her band returned to the stage to join Clannad and both bands played their final couple of songs together. This was a fantastic end to an enjoyable evening and I would certainly recommend it to others.
Rating: 4.5/5
For shows at The Lowry visit www.thelowry.com.
