Songs from the South
Coronation Hall
Friday, October 10
The concert drifted into being with teen soloist Jake Cropley delivering his self-penned songs; the first two tentatively, the rest of the set with commanding presentation, remarkable voice and a lyrical maturity that belied his age.
Then the duo. Into the East (Liv McBride and Graeme Woller, of Invercargill) have an energy and synergy that has to be heard to be understood. Eight original songs fell away as they held the audience in their palm, bringing them every step of the way.
Delgirl (Erin Mortin, Lyn Vare and John Dodd, with Steve Hudson - Dunedin's go-to drummer for folk and acoustic music) took the stage after the break and while the quartet lifted the night rhythmically, their laid-back Pasifika feel was so relaxed you might be forgiven for thinking summer had come early.
Tight harmonies and concise arrangements impressed, while lyrically they showed why they are such a highly regarded unit throughout the South.
All the artists spent time outlining the songs and while some got lost on mysterious tangents that fragmented their presentation, others were full of whimsy and gentle, inclusive humour.
The natural trajectory of the evening was neatly rounded out with all seven musicians back on stage for the final set - six great Southern vocalists, songwriters, multi-instrumentalists and recording artists - played a rousing finale.
But this was not a night for dancing, as the audience sat and soaked up every note and celebrated our very own Songs from the South.
- Reviewed by Mike Moroney
