Canadian
husband-and-wife fiddlers extraordinaire MacMaster and Leahy put on quite a
show for a large, appreciative crowd – the CD-signing line after the show
stretched from the entrance to the music hall all the way back to the opposite
end of the pre-show waiting area. Including intermission, the show ran for over
two hours. All instrumental with one exception, the show nevertheless packed
enough variety to keep things interesting, with tunes bringing to mind chamber
music and Jethro Tull interspersed among the more traditional Celtic tunes. The
four-piece band (drums, bass, piano, and a jack-of-all-trades who alternated
among guitar, flute, and bagpipes) also contributed greatly to the experience.
In keeping with the tour theme “Visions From Cape Breton & Beyond”, there
were several video interludes that traced the family and backgrounds of the two
lead performers.
My only
disappointment was non-musical; the Birchmere has apparently discontinued my
favorite Margarita Chicken Salad, although it was still listed on their online
menu. (It’s since been deleted.) Wound up having the Greek Salad instead.
Almost
forgot to mention that Natalie and Donnell have six kids, the oldest of whom is
just 9 years old. Four of them made appearances late in the first set and just
after intermission, fiddling and step-dancing up a storm on a couple numbers,
and taking a verse and joining in the chorus of the show’s lone vocal number
(“Getting Dark Again”). There was also a nice duet featuring dad on fiddle and
the oldest daughter on piano.
