Delve – Kris Drever and Rachel Sermanni at Lemon Tree.


A review from 5D Music & Theatre writer Maria Robertson.


This concert was one of the evening events which form part of Delve and aim to “connect with your spirit, warm your heart and nourish your soul.”  This is indeed one of the reasons I do whatever I can to search out live music experiences, its the best medicine there is! Rachel Sermanni is this year’s guest curator and welcomes us into the realms of Dream and Play.

*

She started the evening off with a lovely rendition of Ae Fond Kiss, having realised only recently that the events she was planning coincided with Burns Night, she then sang us another couple of beautiful songs with her amazing vocals.  We were treated to her “chat” as she explained the curatorial role she held and the responsibility of introducing everyone.  Unfortunately Laura Wilkie, who was advertised as being part of the evening, was too ill to join us, although she had been a trooper and apparently made it to Stirling before admitting defeat.  Instead Rachel was joined by Ian Carr as the “support arts” for Kris Drever‘s main performance in the second half.

*


*

Ian Carr was not a name I was aware of (much to my embarrassment now).  He is an amazing guitarist, in fact Kris Drever explained that when he was a teenager Ian Carr was his favourite guitarist, as he tried to master the instrument in his home on Orkney.  To be playing together now, and at Phil Cunningham’s Christmas Songbook each year, is a dream come true – a nice tie into the Delve theme of Dream and Play.

*

Ian Carr’s solo set was three songs, a Swedish bridal march and then two polskas.  He told us that in the 80s he played with a Swedish fiddle player who said their folk music could not be played by guitars, so Ian moved to Sweden to try and prove him wrong.  The first polska has a Swedish title which translates to The Creeps and the second was his own composition to honour a big red concrete horse statue he passes regularly.  Audience participation involved shouting Big Horse, at the relevant point – which we struggled not to repeat during the later performances!

*


*

After a short interval Kris Drever took to the stage and enthralled us with a most enjoyable set of songs old and new.  We were asked the most random thing ever asked from the stage: “is anyone into…(dramatic pause)…whaling?!  This was for a gorgeous song about just that which he thought might especially appeal if anyone actually participated in it.  He had been reminded of it when in a Glasgow pub with live trad music last night consoling himself from the cancellation of the Celtic Connections concert due to the storms.  We also got the Unst bridal march with an explanation that there are 2 different types of folk music in Shetland – that which seemed to come from someone with “German Librarian glasses” and that which is inspired by mushrooms!  Another occasion in the evening when we all had a good laugh at the banter, and I was very excited for a mention of my day job profession.  There were two songs, lets call them Save A Space For Me and Magic Friend, which Rachel sang along to and Kris told us they did not exist anywhere but in that room.  Although he intends to sing them into a microphone this year, they have not yet been recorded so no buttons on our phones or other gadgets would magic them up for us.  It was quite a special bonding moment for everyone in the room – one of those unique experiences that live concerts give us.

*


*

The trio performed the Church Street Blues as a final number, they had decided that Rachel should sing us out with her beautiful vocals and it was indeed a superb end to an amazing evening.  The dexterity of those 6 hands on stage was awe inspiring and all the necessary tuning that was also performed by them was totally worth it.  I am often in awe of musicians as I cannot make anything musically attractive beyond the recorder I learned at school but this trio was a perfect combination for an evening of outstanding soul nourishment.  I feel truly honoured to be part of the unique experience and left with a warmed heart.  Delve is a marvellous concept and Rachel Sermanni made the perfect curator to Dream and Play.

*

Further information: Delve – Kris Drever and Rachel Sermanni with Laura Wilkie | Aberdeen Performing Arts

*

Maria Robertson is the Chief Music & Theatre Writer for the 5D Pop Culture Website and provides reviews & coverage of local Aberdeen music & theatre gigs. She’s an experienced writer for numerous sources and is a self-confessed live gig addict ever since seeing The Counting Crows at the Barrowlands in 1994.


Subscribing to the 5D Pop Culture Website

If you would like to subscribe (for free) to the 5D Pop Culture Website and keep up to date with our content then just go to the bottom of the home page, submit your email & click subscribe!

5D Reviews

If you are a content creator and interested in having your work reviewed here on the 5D Pop Culture Website then contact us at 5DPopCulture@gmail.com

5D YouTube Channel

Check out our YouTube Channel at https://youtube.com/@5dpopcultureyoutube829?si=wGwmgWKx8fIaT3Os Here there are interviews, reviews, opinion pieces and all sorts of goodies from the pop culture world!

Ko-fee 

If you would like to donate to help this website & also gain access to extra content, you can support us here: https://ko-fi.com/5dpopculturewebsite

*