Tim Hughes finds himself surprisingly moved by a beautiful, if slightly odd, night of music featuring You Are Wolf, Claire Le Master and Ben See

  • Irregular Folk Special
  • St Barnabas Church, Jericho, Oxford
  • December 4 2015

In recent years Verity ‘Vez’ Hoper’s Irregular Folk nights have become something of a cult attraction.

Her choice of interesting artists making beautiful, thought-provoking and wonderfully quirky music have made the Irregular Folk moniker a label to trust – the sonic equivalent of an Aston Martin: understated, reliable and consistently excellent (though the wholesomely organic Vez, would no doubt turn her nose up at a motoring comparison).

It’s not just the music that make her winter and summer parties so enjoyable, however, it’s the setting and pretty flourishes – such as Sarah Hoyle’s fabulously bonkers posters. And by anyone’s standards, this year’s Christmas bash was a cracker.

Staged in the outrageously ornate surroundings of St Barnabas Church (whose Romanesque basilica and Italianate campanile would look more at home in Milan than Jericho), the venue was as much a star of the show as the artists.

This being a festive show, there was also a nicely-illuminated bar serving bottles of hearty real ale, decent wine and plates of cake and sausage rolls. And there was our favourite compere George Chopping keeping us smiling between acts.

A party it may have been, but it was also incredibly respectful. There was none of the crowd banter which mars too many quiet gigs (and this was very definitely, a gentle one), the capacity audience instead sat in rapt attention as the night’s three acts took to the stage …well, altar.

First up was singer-songwriter Claire Le Master.

If she looked dwarfed by the cavernous surroundings of the basilica, her music was perfectly suited – her soaring voice filling the void with her unadorned, sweetly lilting folk. On this performance, Claire is indeed Le Master - and an artist to watch closely.

It was beautiful stuff. Intimate, heartfelt and personal with just a hint of quirkiness.

What came next, though, turned the quirk-o-meter up to 11- and snapped off the knob.

Ben See is a singer of some repute – but that doesn’t begin to describe what he does. He was joined by three friends for tonight’s show – and between them they pushed the limits of the human voice with layers, loops and samples.

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Addictive listening: Claire Le Master (Pictures courtesy of IWPhotographic.com)

The purity of their voices are punctuated by shrill operatic shrieks and percussive cheek slaps. Some of it is perhaps just a bit too avant garde, but it all works. Ben, however, is at his sublime best in the more conventional numbers.

The final act (There are no headliners, as such) is the best-known: You are Wolf – aka award-winning composer Kerry Andrew.

Kerry is a force of nature – she looks feral, with her tribal makeup and plume of hair. And tonight she is sparkling in a sequinned top, set off by a large pink stag hanging on a chain around her neck.

The music veers from soothing to unsettling – much of it inspired by her love of birds. It’s compulsive stuff and endlessly inventive, her own gorgeous voice electronically augmented with a uke and loop station – with samples, including birdsong (of course), lavishly sprinkled throughout.

It’s a joyous and dreamy listen, despite the dark and twisted nature of some of the material. It culminates in a festive section, where, at one point, we are told to jangle our keys in an impromptu sleigh bell effect. It is Christmas, of course – just without the cheese.

A wonderful quirky night of music in an unusual setting, then. How Irregular – and how wonderful!

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