Show of Hands (Sunday 8th April)
Back at the Albert Hall Steve Knightly and Phil Beer were at their best to delight another sell out audience. Their trade mark of audience participation was evident from the first impression that someone was coming on stage. The applauding eventually subsided as it was clear that Steve once again was somewhere in the stalls arriving from a far flung place in the farthest point away from the stage. With only his guitar and vocals his haunting voice driffted to us in the gods and set the scene as Phil Beer's drawling violin notes were increasing in volume to match Steve resonating on the other side of stalls. The audience burst into rapturous appreciation of a duet who then spent the evening holding the audience in the palm of their hands or was that on the end of their finger tips.
Joined on stage for most of the evening by Miranda Sykes, who had her own jazz/blues solo later on, SoH settled in to a comfortable night having a few friends round and good old session took place.
Martyn Joseph, Tom Robinson, John Jones as well as a mix of unknown/new artists Jenna, a host of Cornish singers and a trio of young female violin players arrived and left at the end of their sets. Typical of SoH many of these established musicians were given the opportunity to join their heros on stage whilst the floor was given over to up and coming star Jenna. Whilst her music was already well accomplished the highlight of her song was when believing she was well off stage she gave a little jig of sheer excitement at having just performed at the Albert Hall.
Giving thanks, all and sundry were brought back on stage for the unaccompanied final sea shanties where the roof was raised once again on what was a splendid eveving at the Albert Hall.
