You are hereRuth Notman and Saul Rose

Ruth Notman and Saul Rose

By Allan Wilkinson - Posted on 29 April 2012

For probably the last gig for a while, due to her current academic catch-up in her chosen 'proper job' field in nursing, Ruth Notman chose her home turf to round off her most recent batch of live appearances, with a relaxed and intimate performance at the Nottingham Playhouse. Joined once again by regular sideman Saul Rose, the now Worksop-based singer performed a selection of songs from her growing repertoire with songs from each of her two albums THREADS and LIFE OF LILLY.

Starting with the Saul Rose accompanied The Hedger and Ditcher, Ruth soon found her stride by alternating between a handful of richly executed traditional songs and her own self-penned compositions, interspersed with her familiar infectious (or in her own words 'ditzy') banter. Along with fine interpretations of familiar traditional songs such as Billy Don't You Weep for Me, Limbo and Heather Down the Moor, Ruth also performed her own compositions Lonely Day Dies, Holding On and the beautiful Over the Hill, always best heard with Saul providing that spine-tinglingly melancholic mid-song turn around on the melodeon.

Saul also performed a couple of songs on his own with Ruth standing aside momentarily, with fine renditions of The Lazy Farmer and The Devil and the Feathery Wife, popularised by Saul's former band mate Martin Carthy. Saul's apparent side player duties are not confined to the provision of fine accompaniment to Ruth's songs but also to act as her responsible elder brother when the singer's 'full capacity ditzyness' strays into naughty little sister territory.

During the evening Ruth and Saul delighted the audience with one or two favourites that would be sorely missed if ever they were to be dropped from the set, most notably False False, The Lark in the Clear Air and Dougie Maclean's gorgeous Caledonia. Returning for an encore, the duo finished with the John Tams song Hold Back the Tide, concluding a memorable evening that will put us on until they both return with their forthcoming collaboration album and Ruth's return in the summer festival season.

Allan Wilkinson

Northern Sky