Barbara showedmany talents

How many of the audience who filled to capacity St Mary’s auditorium had come with memories of Barbara’s remarkable victory over the elements in her visit last summer and how we admired her fortitude in ‘giving the audience their money’s worth! ‘ And then some!

This time within the lush confines of the concert hall Barbara again gave her audience their money’s worth and many times more.

With her backing group of keyboard, drums and bass guitar, and a whole family of various types of guitars, Barbara did not have to resort to gags about bagpipes and haggis but charmed her audience anew with music with a true Scots flavour.

Her debt to the late Gerry Rafferty, with whom she had an enduring working partnership whose passing three years ago left such a hole in Scots traditional music was acknowledged with Tell Me It Isn’t True. The wistful lyric of Where Am I Going? was received with rapt attention by the audience.

From Willy Russell’s Easy Terms came the number Every Lttle Thing.

This was but one of many extolling the virtues of her home country of which Barbara reminded us.

Barbara showed her versatility as actress, vocalist, and musician with her forays on the keyboard, particularly the standard Answer Me.

This number, popularised by Nat King Cole (although he was not the first to feature it) has formed a salient feature of Barbara’s repertoire, and her rendering of it here must have revived memories for many of those present.

That Barbara has concern for the future of music of all types was demonstrated by the performance time given at the start of the evening to two aspiring hopefuls, Marie who writes her own lyrics and with her guitar showed her capabilities to the audience and the senior performer who presented amusing lyrics in a powerful fashion.

Assuredly every member in the audience will be looking forward to Barbara’s next visit to hear more of her unique blend of music and personal experiences.

We hope this will be as soon as her busy schedule permits it.

by Marrion Wells