Uplifting and fascinating performances from Beth Malcolm and Heather Cartwright at Paxton – Seen and Heard Worldwide

United Kingdom Music at Paxton – Summer season Pageant of Chamber Music 2024 [2] – A Trendy Folks Music Programme: Beth Malcolm (singer, keyboard), Heather Cartwright (guitar). Marquee, Paxton Home, Scottish Borders, 20.7.2024. (MC)

Music at Paxton is the place skilled performers of worldwide status unite with younger performers of rising expertise. Showing at Music at Paxton – Summer season Pageant for the primary time the partnership of Beth Malcolm and Heather Cartwright arrange within the giant marquee on the garden.

The duo clearly relished giving their very own modern tackle Scottish impressed people songs both conventional, present-day and self-written. I used to be to learn that the ‘songwriting explores themes of feminine friendship, progress and quarter-life crises’. The duo seems at a number of festivals together with Celtic Connections and enjoys taking part in for brand spanking new audiences particularly with the outreach charity Reside Music Now Scotland to convey first-class, dwell music to individuals all through Scotland.

A singer-songwriter and keyboard participant from Perthshire, Beth Malcolm studied on the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Notably Malcolm acquired a ‘Danny’ award at Celtic Connections 2019 and was named as BBC MG ALBA Scots Singer of the Yr 2022. That very same yr Malcolm with the track John Riley was one of many featured singers on the Niteworks album A’ Ghrian. A yr on and Malcolm who has described herself as a ‘singer of tales’ launched her debut album Kissed and Cried. Heather Cartwright is a guitarist and songwriter from Carlisle who realized her instrument at college. On the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, she was awarded a first-class honours diploma in conventional guitar. It looks like Cartwright has gained numerous useful efficiency expertise in a brief tempo of time.

There’s multiple means of performing conventional music and making use of a brand new perspective was an method that labored splendidly for Malcolm and Cartwright. To introduce every track the essential interactions with the viewers had been largely given by Malcolm. While taking part in her keyboard Malcolm regarded composed giving a convincing vocal show. Her fascinating voice had a clean decrease and center register, attaining her excessive notes with relative ease. Singing solely sometimes within the set Cartwright demonstrated her guitar abilities with accomplishment.

Standing out was Oh, Expensive Me (The Jute Mill Tune) a track written by novice singer and violinist Mary Brooksbank (1897-1978). A commerce union activist Brooksbank had first hand skilled as a toddler working in Dundee’s jute mills and later mentioning kids on meagre wages. Given the topic Oh, Expensive Me is kind of a surprisingly light track the place Malcolm and Cartwright communicated an impactful social message concerning the harmful mills and their insufficient working circumstances. Worthy of singling out too was John Martyn’s hit Could You By no means from 1971. Malcolm and Cartwright appeared at one with the track famend for being ‘lovely in its traditional simplicity’.

This was a well-balanced set of a constantly top quality. I may have picked out any track from the play listing and loved it, completely. Time simply flew by as Beth Malcolm and Heather Cartwright served up performances that had been each uplifting and fascinating.

Michael Cookson

Set Checklist:
Edward – Conventional, organized Beth Malcolm and Heather Cartwright
The Shepherd – Anaïs Mitchell
Don’t Know Why – Jesse Harris (after Norah Jones model)
The Stunning Gortree – Tommy Peoples (no data of author of lyrics)
A person who loves the worst of me – Beth Malcolm
Battle of Harlaw – Conventional
Oh, Expensive Me (The Jute Mill Tune) – Mary Brooksbank
The Glasgow Tune – Beth Malcolm and Heather Cartwright
The Employee’s Tune – Ed Pickford
Could You By no means – John Martyn