Review by Marilyn Barber | newseditor@dorsetview.co.uk

This concert at the Wimborne theatre certainly turned out to be a feast with ten hugely talented musicians and singers filling the stage and playing a variety of instruments.

There were five men and one woman primarily on violins, plus one on a melodeon two on guitars and one drummer. However some of them didn’t limit themselves to one instrument with Marion Fleetwood – who was interviewed for Dorset View ahead of the concert – also playing a cello and a guitar.

Hugh Crabtree, founder and boss of the band, which he founded in 1994, was on the melodeon compering the show with just the right touch of humour.

It was clear that most of the audience had seen the band several times before and probably knew many of their pieces of music. However, it was all new to me, but that didn’t matter as I was blown away by the melodic music and songs that told a tale.

“It is English, Scottish and Irish folk music – but rocked up,” said Marion, whose beautiful voice added so much to what until recently was an all-male band.

With so many brilliant musicians on stage it doesn’t seem fair to single anyone out, but I have to heap praise on the moving performances of violinists Peter Knight (formerly of Steeleye Span), Brian McNeil (Battlefield Band), and Ian Cutler (Bully Wee).

This is a band of friends that puts on a show with a huge dynamic range performed with passion, joy and a liberal dose of fun.

What more can you ask of a performance, which clearly the audience loved.

Let’s hope we see them at the Tivoli again.