★ ★ ★ ★ ★
309 words, 2 minutes read time.
Elsa Jean McTaggart and her husband Gary Lister have been a regular feature of the Edinburgh Fringe since 2011. Since then, they have built up a reputation for their interpretations of Scottish music. They always draw a crowd. This year, they bring three shows to the Fringe. These include a singalong Scots of the Pops, Caledonia and their storming sell-out show Hebridean Fire. Your reviewer chose to see Hebridean Fire.
Elsa opens the show with a stirring fiddle piece that quickly has her audience clapping in time with the rhythm. Gary plays the keyboard. A third musician, Lydia, plays the beatbox. They perform in front of a massive screen. The screen projects pictures and video of the places we visit on our musical tour.
Elsa gives a running commentary on her choice of pieces. She intersperses the music with explanations of their connection to the places we are visiting in music. We learn how Elsa and Gary came to live on Lewis during the year the world stood still. It was 2020. We also learn the secret of Harris tweed.
Elsa shows her musical versatility on the fiddle, mandolin, tin whistle, and a small guitar. All are conveniently at hand to her on her ‘instrument tree’. On our musical tour, we experience rip-roaring ceilidh music. We also have an interview with a local Lewis character. Additionally, we hear a hauntingly beautiful Gàidhlig version of the twenty-third psalm. Finally, we listen to some of her own compositions written during the Covid lockdown.
Elsa and Gary have found the perfect mix. They know how to draw, interact with and please a crowd, but they don’t rest on their laurels. They’re not afraid to experiment with new material. They’ll be a feature of the Fringe for a few years yet, and deservedly so.
Reviewed by David Kerr
Till August 2024. Tickets here
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