Traditional Celtic folk has a beautiful balance between soaring joy and heart-wrenching sorrow. The best Celtic folk hits you right in the pit of your stomach. Derina Harvey and her band definitely hit that spot for me during their concert last night (August 9th).
Derina Harvey is originally from out of the Maritimes, as are her band, but they currently make Edmonton, Alberta their home. As with all the Kamloops Music in the Park shows, they played outside in the Riverside Park Bandshell to a wide range of concert goers, from kids to seniors, in a family friendly environment. Derina's voice propelled the band, and as all good Celtic singers, she has the power of a blues belter combined with the sweet lilt of a Irish folk singer. Her voice was alternately bruising and hauntingly calming. The fiddle player (sorry, I missed his name and it doesn't seem to be on the website) is a very talented musician as well, playing with power and subtlety. With an electric guitar and bass in the band, they were able to slide between traditional folk tunes to upbeat rock styles easily.
As for the music, they played a mix of traditional Celtic tunes, from "What Should We Do with the Drunken Sailor", to Steve Earle's sublime "Galway Girl" and Michael Considine's sad "Spancil Hill". They also peppered their set with original material from their two albums, the highlight being the title track from their latest, "Rove and Go". They also brought out some more mainstream country and folk, covering Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" and Charlie Daniels' "The Devil Went Down to Georgia".
If you get a chance, see this band!
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