Despite the wealth of sporting attractions currently on offer, it was reassuring to see another healthy gathering at Lincolnshire’s Premier Americana Music venue, the Town Hall, Kirton in Lindsey, with quite a few new faces amongst the regular congregation. In truth, the turnout came as little surprise when you consider the quality of music on offer, with two of the country’s finest singer-songwriters, along with an excellent support act, more of which later, combining their talents for a recently released album which they are currently on tour to promote.
The duo in question is, of course, Scottish-born musician Yvonne Lyon, who originally came to prominence in the late nineties with the folk-rock outfit Land. Since 2001, she has pursued a solo career and to date has released 10 albums, her most recent being the excellent “Growing Wild” that saw the light of day in 2020. Boo Hewerdine requires little introduction to those who enjoy the art of great songwriting, with a recording career that dates back to the 1980s with bands such as The Great Divide and The Bible, before striking out on a solo career in the early 1990s. Since then, his songs have been recorded by some of Britain’s folk music hierarchy, including Eddie Reader, Clive Gregson and Christine Collister, whilst numerous musical collaborations with such luminaries as Brooks Williams, John McCusker, Heidi Talbot and Chris Difford, along with to date ten solo albums, have helped cement his name at the very forefront of this country’s singer-songwriter brigade.
Lyon and Hewerdine joined forces several years ago to work on an idea, the seeds of which first came to Lyon whilst visiting Culzean Castle near Maybole in Ayrshire, Scotland, which by all accounts has the most fantastic secondhand bookshop. Within the bookshop was a noticeboard entitled “Things Found In Books”, where all the things found between the pages of the books they received were curated rather than discarded. Lyon took many photos of these momentary glimpses into people’s past lives, and with the help of good friend, Hewerdine, who for many years now has resided in Glasgow, they set about writing an album of songs inspired by the extraordinary things people had used as bookmarks. The project took several years to complete, but finally, last year, the completed album “Things Found In Books” was released, clothed in a beautiful hardback book, complete with original artwork and 44 pages of lyrics and photos. It is truly a wonderful work of art.
The evening’s programme was split into two sets, the first focusing entirely on songs from the recent album. Opening with the title track, the duo shared vocals, both seated with Lyon behind a piano where she would remain, alternately swapping between keys and acoustic guitar, while to her left, also seated, Hewerdine played the same acoustic guitar all evening. Having started with the song that opens the album, one could have been forgiven for expecting the set to follow a chronological order. Instead, there was a fluid, almost organic feel to the set’s structure, suggesting that, despite the obvious thread that links these songs, individually, they stand on their own, thus allowing the flexibility to change the order for each performance. Interestingly, after the conclusion of the opening number, Lyon informed the audience that the night’s show was the second date of this current tour, and most definitely the best one to attend. Apparently, the first show is all about ironing out any issues, whilst by the third night, they would become slightly cocky, all to the amusement of the congregation.
So, following on from the title track, Lyon took the lead on the gentle lullaby of ‘Baby Blue’ before Hewerdine took vocal responsibilities on ‘Navy Cut’, supported by some delightful staccato chords on the piano from Lyon. While each song is inspired by a bookmark, both writers have used a broad palette to create a story that offers a gateway to some different time and place. A few of the songs take on a slightly more personal tone, in particular ‘Salvador Dali and Me’, written and sung by Lyon, collecting a triptych of memories from her youth visiting Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow, while the following number ‘Marion and Sydney’ sung here by Hewerdine, is named after Lyon’s grandparents, though that’s where the personal connection to this song ends.
In all, twelve of the album’s fifteen tracks are performed, with the fascinating ‘A Letter From The King’ read here by Hewerdine though on the album Lyon narrates, emphasising the aforementioned organic nature of the songs, while other highlights included ‘Paul McCartney in 1970′, ‘Cabbage White’, and the delightful ‘Down By The Harbour’, before the duo departed the stage to the sound of the album’s instrumental piece ‘Hieroglyphics’.
After the obligatory interval, during which time the merchandise desk was a hive of activity, the duo returned to the stage to perform what they described as a “greatest hits package“, and though clearly delivered with tongue firmly in cheek, many of the following numbers proved familiar to the evening’s audience. Lyon kicked proceedings off with ‘Winter Ground’, a track from her most recent solo album, setting the bar for Hewerdine, who decided to respond with his ‘Trump Card’, ‘Patients Of Angels’, which was of course a massive hit for Eddie Reader. Hewerdine follows the song with an amusing recollection of his brush with fame; his dry wit, seasoned over the years, consistently encourages howls of laughter from the crowd, while his on-stage banter with Lyon exposes a strong friendship forged over time.
The duo continued to take their turn from spotlight to support, with Lyon emphasising her canon of work with ‘Everything’s Fine’, the powerful protest number, ‘Tell It Like It Is’, and the delicate ‘Sail On’, while Hewerdine delivered a delightful rendition of the Louis Armstrong hit from 1968 ‘What A Wonderful World’ along with two of the best from his back catalogue with ‘The Night Is Young’ and ‘Dragonflies’, the latter receiving a standing ovation. Ever the gentleman, Hewerdine vacated the stage to allow Lyon to perform the encore unaccompanied, closing the night’s show with the emotive message of ‘Enjoy Not Endure’, her voice, as it had all evening, holding the audience transfixed to the final note, proving without doubt that the second night of the tour is truly the one to attend.
As previously mentioned, the evening’s proceedings got off to an excellent start with Sharon Maher making her debut on the hallowed stage at Kirton in Lindsey. Maher, originally from Northern Ireland, has for many years resided just to the east of the city of Hull, and to date has released one album, “Beauty On A Steel Drum”, seeing the light of day back in 2019, under the name of Sharon Garner. With a new album due out later this year, Maher’s self-penned, eight-song set provided a wonderful mix of old and new, starting with the delightful opening track from her debut album ‘Lovely Picture’.
Seated behind the piano belonging to Lyon, Maher delivered her songs with a voice that drew comparison to the singer-songwriters of the late sixties and early seventies, with Judy Collins and Joni Mitchell being obvious touchstones. Her writing, which often recounts her early years, such as on the second number ‘Ballintoy Harbour’, is emotive and sagacious in equal measure, immediately drawing the listener in and then holding them, as if, for a few minutes at least, cocooned in a safer, simpler place and time.
A former student at Trinity College of Music in London, Maher’s songs hold a melodious structure, whether it be on the piano or guitar, which accompanied her on at least half the evening’s set, providing the perfect conduit for her lyrically reflective narratives. Though it would appear that it is only in the last decade that she has discovered a love for songwriting, songs such as ‘White On Blue’, a single released some five years ago, provide ample evidence that she is a writer of the highest calibre who has already built a strong repertoire. That fact was highlighted by the selection of new songs she shared with the evening’s congregation, of which ‘The Mask’ proved to be particularly popular, suggesting that the forthcoming new album can’t come quickly enough. Judging by the raucous applause Maher received at the end of her set, one got the feeling this was a view shared around the hall.
