Fifi La Mer & Oliver Wilby: Let Us Take You To Paris
There was not a seat to spare at Skirwith village hall, everybody ready for an evening that felt far away from a Cumbrian village. Instead, we were whisked off to France through 90 minutes of beautiful music from the golden age of Parisian chansons, performed by the extremely talented Fifi La Mer and Oliver Wilby. They had made their way over the hills of the North Pennines from their previous tour stops in the Northumbrian villages of Allendale and Edmundbyers. The audience of Skirwith gave them a very warm welcome, creating an atmosphere of a busy French club in the heart of the Eden Valley; you could almost smell the Gauloises cigarette smoke.
Once everyone was settled, coats off and drinks in hand, our trip began with the rich sounds of the French musette accordion and deep notes of the clarinet. The places where this wonderful music orginated were described in La Mer’s authentic French accent, allowing all who were in the hall to escape our ordinary lives. Before long we were lost in the music of Edith Piaf, Charles Trenet and Serge Gainsbourg, as well as many more. For each song we were given a fascinating backstory , enriching the whole evening . Whilst we were engrossed in this, Wilby transitioned smoothly between saxophone, accordion and clarinet, enabling the sounds to differ and leaving us feeling that we had seen more than just a two-piece band. There was even one tune when they both whistled. The interval came around fast, a clear sign everybody was enjoying themselves. Within the 20 minutes, CDs could be purchased and the members of the audience had a chance to speak to Fifi as she made her way around each table, taking time to chat and mingle amongst the upbeat crowd.
The second half included a fun competition to win a CD, engaging the audience to guess the films. The three famous theme tunes brought much laughter as we racked our brains with many knowing the first one but the other two proving to be too difficult, meaning no CD was won. Despite this, I was surprised at how many French songs I recognised and I found La Vie en Rose particularly moving.
The combination of the charismatic performance style of La Mer and the musicality of Wilby was excellent, filling the hall with positive energy. There were no feet not tapping nor hands not clapping especially when it came to one of the final acts, The Can-Can. The evening was drawn to a close with the slow and magical song Non, Je ne regrette rien. It was an enchanting evening with everyone leaving with smiles and an array of French tunes swirling around their heads with the refreshing feeling of being away without even leaving the village.
Review by Katie Laidlow
Katie Laidlow is a student from Cumbria. She is currently part of our Young Promoters Programme, gaining experience in arts journalism and programming.
