Emily Smith
Emily Smith
Emily Smith
Emily Smith

Lichfield folk fans turned out in force to hear the fast rising Scottish singer songwriter Emily Smith and her band when they appeared at Lichfield Guildhall as part of her national tour, in support of her latest album Traiveller’s Joy.

Along with Emily on vocals, piano and accordian, the rest of the group were Jamie McClennan on guitar, violin and vocals, Double Bassist Duncan Lyall and on low whistles and guitar was Ali Henderson.

The concert started with an acappella reading the Scottish folk song of Nae but sixteen years old, a ballad about abandoned love. Much of the material for the evening came from Traiveller’s Joy whilst some of it was also well chosen selections from Adoon Winding Nith – an album of the songs of Robert Burns that was arranged and released by Emily Smith and Jamie McClennan in 2009, the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns.

Much of the music was a slow and more meditative nature, allowing for some attractive ornamentation from the violins and low whistle as a suitable counterpoint to Emily Smith’s pure and clear vocal talent.

As well as more traditional songs, the audience also heard much of the group’s own music, as well as a haunting version of Richard Thompson’s Waltzing’s for Dreamers for vocal and piano, and the ethereal Roll on lovely Doon.

An upbeat rendition of The Plooman finished the main set, whilst the encore was a guitar and vocal treatment of Duncan Scott’s Doors Open.