By Shelley Marsden

A capital performance is promised when the inimitable Devil’s Violin company bring their latest storytelling experience to London for one night only this Friday, May 11

Slick and spellbinding, few theatrical experiences come close to this incredibly crafted show, which brings the ancient art of storytelling firmly into the 21st century.

“A Love Like Salt” unlocks forgotten folk tales that inspired some of English literature’s greatest works, such as Shakespeare’s King Lear and Chaucer’sFranklin’s Tale and Wife of Bath’s Tale - The Devil’s Violin takes them on a new voyage of discovery.

The performance at the Rich Mix arts centre inBethnal Green Road, E1 is the onlyLondondate in a 14-dateUKtour, which runs until June 28, and which was premiered atOxford’s Bodleian Library.

Aided by the dramatic, driving rhythms of a skilled and inventive strings and accordion trio, Abergavenny-based Daniel Morden - one of theUK’s most applauded storytellers - lures you onto a rollercoaster ride in this haunting and hypnotic fusion of music and word.

“How much do you love me?” is a recurring question throughout the show, directed by Sally Cookson. Love is put to the test in three tales as the audience is transported to King Arthur’s Camelot, the Breton shores and the ancient Britain of King Lear.

Suitable for anyone over 12, the audience will meet a knight on a year-long quest to discover what women really want and enter a world where Cinderella meets Cordelia and “Miss Mossy Coat” emerges from “The Land of Ladles” to thrill a prince.

An alchemic experience that will have the audience on the edge of their seats, A Love Like Salt is a rich tapestry, peppered with magic and morals, lovers and lust, desire and disguise and even a man hell-bent on selling his soul to win a woman.

Sarah Moody (cello), Oliver Wilson-Dickson (violin) and Luke Carver Goss (accordion) bring a wonderful edge to the production with their brilliant sense of theatre and timing.

The in-demand trio will be heard onBBCRadios 3 and 4 in May providing music for a new production of The Tempest, part of the Cultural Olympiad.

You can also see The Devil’s Violin at the 25th Hay Festival as well as on their otherUKtour dates. It’s timeless, thought-provoking – come and see how the story ends…

Rich Mix, London, Friday May 11, 7.30pm. Tickets, price £9 (£7 concessions), are available from the box office on 0207 613 7498 or online at www.richmix.org.uk. See trailers at www.thedevilsviolin.co.uk.

By Shelley Marsden

‘Musician of the Year’ Tim Edey releases new album and tours with Chieftains

IF you’re a fan of traditional music and don’t know Anglo-Irish multi instrumentalist Tim Edey, then keep it to yourself!  Edey - arguably one of the most gifted melodeon players on the planet - picked up his love and knowledge of Irish traditional music from his Dublin-born mother from the age of four. The rest, as they say, is history.

The double-award winner at the 2012BBCRadio 2 Folk Awards is hitting the road with The Chieftains this summer, beginning with shows inDublinandBelfastat the end of this month.

A charismatic guy to boot (some people have all the luck), Edey featured recently on Mike Harding’s Show, along with Brendan Power, who just a year ago he formed an instant hit partnership with, the result being the album Wriggle and Writhe.

Now, the Kent-based musician and composer has another string to his bow, with the eclectic and timely release of The Best of Tim Edey (Proper Distribution). - an 18-track album which charts the course of Edey’s ten-year career so far, showcasing collaborations with heavy-hitters from the Celtic music like Sharon Shannon, Ross Ainslie, Seamus Begley and Mike McGoldrick.

It’s an album that twists and turns with ebullience between guitar jigs, polkas, a jazzy Independence Hornpipe, a tune commissioned by Broadstairs Folk Week and Tim’s compositions From Kent to Kintail, Emma’s Tune, Richard’s Minuet (for his Dad’s birthday), Little Bird (for Sharon Shannon) and the movingWhy?

As ever, Edey’s technical prowess is clear from the outset, but if it was about hitting the right notes and no more, impressive as that is, there are plenty of other artists to share that category. Edey sprinkles his own sparkle over each number, and reveals a talent for wistful melodies. He plays a startling array of instruments - melodeon, accordion, acoustic guitar, banjo, bass, piano, mandolin, whistle, bodhran and bouzouki.

This Saturday, May 12, Edey joins Brendan Power for the pair’s first Kentgig since the Folk Awards wins. The “Folk Awards Celebration Show” UKL at Canterbury’s Westgate Hall also marks the launch of a DVDand will help raise funds for the refurbishment of the venue, which has been under threat of demolition. See www.westgatecommunityhall.org.uk.

In June, Tim joins the 50th anniversary UKtour of The Chieftains, including a performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall (June 8). See www.thechieftains.com.

For all his live dates, and there are quite a few, visit www.timedey.co.uk.                   

By Martin Higgins

Dublin band The Coronas were in Manchester last Thursday as part of a short tour of the UK promoting their third album, ‘Closer to You’.

The group has already built up a large following in Ireland and earned a reputation for energetic live shows. That reputation and the popularity of the previous two albums, ‘Heroes or Ghosts’ and ‘Tony Was an Ex-Con’, has led to not only support slots with the likes of The Script, Pink, and little known singer-songwriter Paul McCartney, but also regular sell out headline shows across Ireland. The band has recently signed to a U Kindie label and is keen to replicate the success they have at home, across the water.

Opening with ‘What You Think You Know’, the first track on their most recent album, The Coronas come out of the gate running. The song is an album highlight, thrashing guitars and rumbling drums giving way to the soaring vocals of Danny O’Reilly, son of Irish folk singer Mary Black.

The band were tight and confident, and the set covered songs from all three albums, a mixture of upbeat, melodic indie-rock such as current single ‘Mark My Words’, and slower, more acoustic-based songs like the stand-out album track ‘Blind Will Lead The Blind’.

There was a loyal Irish contingent in the audience, made apparent when the band played ‘Heroes or Ghosts’ and set closer ‘San Diego Song’, both of which received massive radio airplay inIreland, and huge cheers at this gig. The latter song got the biggest response of the night, O’Reilly leading the crowd in a sing along of the anthemic chorus before leaving the stage.

It may be early days for The Coronas in their attempts to crack theUKbut based on this performance, success over here is just round the corner.

http://thecoronas.net/

By Shelley Marsden

That's the name of the new album from Heidi McCaffrey, and the collection is one of all original country/ Irish country numbers – not something many singers of the genre can boast these days.

Come On In is an appropriate title too, as the album invites the listener to listen to a very easy-on-the-ear selection of brand new original songs from this charismatic singer-songwriter (and actor!).

In the last couple of years, since the release of her Lee Lynch written single "What Ever Happened To My Angel", Heidi – now a popular performer on the London music scene and beyond - has become a much respected artiste receiving extensive airplay in Ireland, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and country music radio stations all over Europe.  

Heidi and her manager Marty Walsh recently visited the studio of Lucia Butler (Irish Country Music Radio) recently for a great radio interview on her show, A Taste Of Country With Lucia, which goes out live every Sunday from11am- 3pm and on Tuesdays1pm-3pm for people all over the globe to tune in and enjoy.

The radio station, owned by Limericksinger-songwriter Pat Garrett, can be accessed at www.irishcountrymusicradio.com.

Prior to the release of her debut single, Heidi worked for the most part in the UK, with occasional trips to perform in exotic locations such as Singapore and South Africa, and of course the Czech Republic where, incidentally, she has had a loyal following of concert goers since the early naughties!

In Ireland, Heidi’s star is also on the rise, and it is a place that she has always adored performing in. On9th September 2011, she played her first ever Irish concert to a full house audience in the Town Hall Theatre inGalway.

As she told Jimmy Higgins in an interview with Galway Bay FM at the time, "I have played all over the world, but the reception I received here inGalwaywas the best I will ever receive." But she was wrong! On18th February 2012 she returned to the very same venue –this time to an even more rapturous response from the delighted audience. 

Come On In is an album of country music, but Heidi certainly does not restrict her repertoire to country, as anyone who has seen her perform live will attest to. In fact, she has a repertoire of over 300 songs (and that’s in her head, not sitting on a music stand) – that’s impressive stuff.

Heidi can do a three hour country show, but can also pull off an incredible two hour show packed full of 60s hits with the same aplomb.

Apart from the usual retail outlets, Come On In is available as a download on iTunes, Amazon and by mail order from www.hidetherecords.co.uk. Heidi McCaffrey is managed by Marty Walsh (email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ).

For more on the London-based singer, visit the website at http://mccaffreymusic.weebly.com.