Mischa Macpherson Trio - Mischa Macpherson, Conal McDonagh, Innes White
Having written elsewhere* about a fictional female fiddle trio, it was a natural progression to a concert where the main event was performance by possibly Scotland’s finest female fiddle quartet.
Rant have built up a considerable following for themselves in the short time of their existence – coming into being in the summer of 2012, Rant went on to make a very well received appearance at Edinburgh’s Fiddle Fest, the venue appropriately enough being the Queen’s Hall.
First up, however, were the altogether admirable Mischa Macpherson trio, consisting of Mischa herself as vocalist and clarsach player, accompanied by Innes White on guitar and Conal McDonagh on cauld wind pipes and whistle.
Winners of the Radio 2 Folk Award for 2014, this very much up-and-coming band gave us some splendid music, mainly from the Gaelic tradition, but venturing further afield with a re-arranged song collected from the ‘Queen Amang the Heather’ of tradition-bearers, Sheila Stewart.
Having set us up so well, the audience gave a warm reception to Rant, whose set filled the second hour of the concert. Drawn from the highlands and islands, Jenna and Bethany Reid and their fellow Rant members Lauren MacColl and Sarah-Jane Summers, produce a sound that is startling in its clarity and purity.
From their lively opening, the ladies went on to play several compositions of the talented and prolific Bethany Reid, including, appropriately enough ‘One for Us’, as well as those of other members. ‘Loser Quest’ suggested in its title an ironic comment on something other than an electronic game, while it was good to hear Euan Macpherson’s ‘Orca’ getting the quartet treatment.
For many, however, this fairly new band is already indelibly associated with Bethany Reid’s magnificent ‘East Church’, inspired by the dignity and acoustics of an old church in Cromarty.
Their final offering was a tune created for the Shetland Bus project – not to provide motor transport for the outer isles, but to commemorate the rescue of downed pilots in WWII.
Rant’s Edinburgh appearance is to be followed by a tour of Ireland. Following this performance, one hoped their reappearance this side of the sheugh will not be long in coming.
* 'Playing the Air' published by Matador @ £8.99. isbn - 978 1780885 469