Last updated 15:12, Thursday, 02 October 2008

THE new director of the Hexham Abbey Festival, Graham Coatman, has brought a greater variety and a broad sense of musical adventure to the programming of the festival.

Unique blend: Fribo moved easily between folk traditions.

This is reflected both in the genre-crossing nature of such groups as Acoustic Triangle and Horses Brawl, and in the booking of performers, including Fribo, who are on the cusp of achieving wider recognition but whom you may want to check out at first hand.

Fribo, a folk trio combining English, Scots and Norwegian musicians, and blending Anglo-Nordic folk traditions while certainly not wholly unique, are certainly amongst the best and did not disappoint in their engaging and delightful performance at the Queen’s Hall on Sunday.

They bravely overcame a loss of equipment following a flight from Norway, to perform a set that moved easily between Gaelic and Norwegian traditions, so seamlessly and fluently that at times it was difficult to distinguish between them.

This was especially the case when the lead singer, the Norwegian Anne Sofie Linge Valdal, sang the Norwegian equivalent of Gaelic mouth music.

On balance, the Scandina-vian material stood out as the major influence and Anne Sofie’s high, clear, natural and occasionally haunting voice gave whatever she sang an uncluttered, pure and refreshing sound.

The highlight song of the set for me was a traditional Norwegian evening psalm, introduced by a bowed mandola, where the combination of slow spooky vocal and instrumental sound was particularly effecting.

Supported for this gig by a subtle but effective percussionist, the blend of voice, Ewan MacPherson’s guitar and the Hardanger fiddle of Sarah-Jane Summers worked and interwove brilliantly in seemingly simple arrangements.

I was particularly pleased by the wonderful Hardanger fiddle playing of the latter.

This instrument, which has nine strings, five of which are understrung sympathetic strings, requires a different technique to normal fiddle playing, and its eerie, strident and richer sound enhanced all the material – whether they were Scottish Strathspey tunes and reels, dancing tunes from Telemark, Norwegian wedding and children’s songs, or as a solo played in the middle of the one English song, a beautiful setting of a Robert Frost poem.

A very interesting and enjoyable Sunday lunch-time gig, perhaps however better programmed for an evening slot in the interests of getting a bigger audience.