SOUNDS GREEN - HONEY & THE BEAR IN THE BOTANIC GARDEN

HONEY AND THE BEAR - LUCY AND JOHN HART

In the deep quiet of the Botanic Garden, a summer evening feels a thrilling place to be. Mysterious , crowded with plants,- the giant rhubarb structure looms larger than ever and people pad towards the Sounds Green arena. So many of them all secretly grateful to be together in the Open Air, in the green in the deep peace of the garden. With music.

This is how the Cambridge Summer Music Festival started this year - with Honey and the Bear. This British folk  ‘ and roots’ duo Jon and Lucy Hart are splendid musicians, they shifted without batting an eyelid between the double base, guitar and flute - then basoukki. Or ukelele mandolin and percussion. And the depth of the sounds was brilliantly enhanced by two guest appearances from Evan Carson and Toby Shaer - even more magically musically adroit. The entire effect was brilliant, what appeared to be simple songs so truly complicated into intriguing dimensions of sound.

Jon and Lucy are veteran performers. They live on the Suffolk coast and sang us traditional sea songs from Warbleswick ( the ferry has its own song) and Aldeburgh. And they write their own stuff too, stirring ballads of courage by the Aldeburgh lifeboat in 1996 - it rescued a huge boat full of people from twenty foot waves and nearly came to grief itself. I loved their Cuban material , songs written in reaction to their love of the people there - and their connection with their suffering in the past. Melodic engaging and fascinating , this band deserve the warm applause from a happy - grateful - gathering of all the generations.

Outstanding was Lucy’s heavenly voice, effortlessly soaring above the sound. She sang a traditional Irish tune, alongside Paul Simon’s Diamonds on the soles of her Shoes. It sounded wonderful ( as good as the original in its way). Casual unhurried natural music, carefully wrought but simply played. Here is a band we shall surely hear more of in the future . What was so very clear is the players just loved every moment of the sets, and the audience, all dancing in the second half , loved them back.

The Botanic Garden, what a venue. Another gig next week is a must.