Review: Fundraising Concert for Haiti - 30th January, 2010

Photo: lynda mcminn and friends. with Lynda McMinn and friends from RSAMD, Bethany Hamilton and Inju Oh, on piano, local couple Ian and Maggie Gray and acoustic music from Larry Guild and Jim Byrne.

Kelvinside Hillhead Church. Main Hall Observatory Road.

A few weeks back we went along to Kelvinside Hillhead Church to support Lynda McMinn and some of her friends from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) at a fundraising concert for Haiti. Her approach was very relaxed and optimistic and she was open to all sorts of acts and abilities. t turned out a very unusual but very successful event.

Lynda kicked off the proceedings and treated the audience to an astounding performance of operatic style singing. Lynda was accompanied on piano by Inju Oh, who is a repetiteur for the opera school at RSAMD.

She has a truly amazing voice, which you can hear for yourself at: YouTube Lynda McMinn - Amazing Grace Edinburgh Tattoo

Next up was Bethany Hamilton from Chicago, like Lynda, a Masters student at RSAMD, and another very talented young woman. She treated us to some super jazz.

Ian and Maggie Gray, introduced some humour into the event with their Music Hall Act and Ian also recited some very funny colloquial poetry. The brave Maggie, accompanied by Inju Oh, sang a solo 'Summertime'.

Larry Guild also contributed to the evening's entertainment with his self-penned acoustic/folk music 'Bus to Boston' and the wonderful instrumental 'As The Crow Flies'.

Further variety was added by Jim Byrne, who played some finger pickin' blues and country influenced songs, his own 'The Handle's Broken On My Cup' and John Prine's 'Faster Than The Speed of Loneliness'.

Lynda returned to thank everyone for coming along and brought the show to a close with some more wonderful singing. Then people enjoyed a chat and some refreshments before heading home.

The event raised approximately ?600.

Pat Byrne, February, 2010

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