‘Joyous’ is not a word often found in the Hot Press live review pages but it’s the first that springs to mind when sumarising this exquisite performance by Maria Doyle Kennedy and her husband and fellow musician Kieran Kennedy.
From the opening strains of the beguiling ‘Sing From The Sea’ the audience is captivated, a tall order considering the size of the venue and the fact that the two musicians are the sole occupants of the stage. But as well as being a supremely talented player, Maria is a consummate performer and her natural warmth – as well as oozing from each song – radiates throughout her stage banter.
“We’re delighted to be here, we’re having the best time of our lives with this record,” she gushes. The album in question, the magnificent Sing, provides the bulk of tonight’s material.
Gems such as the hauntingly beautiful ‘Am I Choosing Right?’, the title-track with its ethereal uplifting melodies and the divine country lilt of ‘The Most Beautiful People Are Broken’ are just some of the highlights.
Elsewhere we’re treated to an enchanting version of BF Shelton’s 1927 gem ‘Oh Molly Dear’; ‘Call Me’ from Mutter on which Maria and Kieran’s voice blend sublimely; American folk standard ‘Single Girl, Married Girl’ – its humourous vocal interplay garners many a giggle – and, on a more contemporary note, Pat Benetar’s ‘Love Is A Battlefield’.
Maria Doyle Kennedy is a national treasure – let’s not forget that!