The grandeur of Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum set the mood for the enthusiastic anticipation for

this evening’s fine concert (on Thursday 24 January 2013).

Opening for just under an hour, English folk maestro Martin Simpson was joined by Pakistani Arieb Azhar with an outstanding performance starting with an excellent rendition of Raglan Road.

Guitars, vocals, percussion and banjo combined into a set which blended the two cultures exquisitely.

After a fairly lengthy interval, Les Mystere des Voix Bulgares, originally The Bulgarian State Radio and Television Female Choir formed in 1952, took to the stage.

Dressed in colourful national dress, they sung for over an hour in various combinations ranging from full 24 piece choir down to two soloists. These wonderful performances, all without any instrumental backing, displayed the varying style from their homeland.  Even, on a few occasions, the two men who were part of the ensemble were allowed to show their prowess. Thoroughly engaging throughout.

Ah, but there is a quandary here. The choir performance was amplified which did not allow the acoustic beauty of this excellent hall to show at anywhere near its best.

However, if unamplified, the volume created may not have been insufficient to satisfy the audience size, around, in my estimation, 600.

Having just left another concert in the City Hall, I feel it would have been a better venue negating any need for amplification. This is merely my opinion but, I must admit, I felt a touch short changed.

Bill Morris