Monday, 10 March 2014

A night of musical enchantment with the Webb Sisters

Charley and Hattie Webb were the angelic voices backing Leonard Cohen on tours around the world and on some of his recent albums over the past five years. This evening, the two sisters played Warsaw's Fabryka Trzciny, a beautiful evening of close harmony. Their melodic fusion of folk, bluegrass, pop and Celtic music appeals to a broad audience, divine voices so perfectly in tune with one another. And musicianship that testifies to endless hours of practice, ever since childhood in a musical family. The 10,000 hour rule, made manifest.

Below: Hattie on harp and mandolin, Charley on acoustic guitar. A magical night. Indeed, I could have gone on listening all night. The audience listened, rapt, and reverent. In between the songs, Charley and Hattie would swap unscripted, unrehearsed comic banter, which had the row in front of me in stitches.


The encore was a pure delight - Charley left her guitar on stage, and together with Hattie, the sisters came down into the audience, entirely unplugged, no microphones - just two angelic voices accompanied by a harp - and unlit by spotlights - communion with music in its purest form.

After the show, the girls were happy to chat with fans, autograph CD covers and sell tea towels (yes!). A wonderful, thoroughly enjoyable evening, which will be repeated tomorrow in Katowice and on Tuesday in Wrocław. If you live in or near those cities - do go, you too will be enchanted.

This time last year:
A selfless faith

This time two years ago:
Ul. Profesorska after the remont

This time three years ago:
Lent kicks off again, for the 20th year in a row for me

This time four years ago:
Half way through Lent

This time six years ago:
Spring much closer

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