Review: Kate Rusby @ Guild Hall, Preston (From Preston and Leyland Citizen)

Review: Kate Rusby @ Guild Hall, Preston

11:11am Monday 6th December 2010 in Music By John Anson, Features editor

CHRISTMAS came early as folk favourite Kate Rusby brought her own festive show to the Guild Hall.

Supplementing her usual musicians with a brass quintet, Barnsley’s finest export undertook a spot of missionary work introducing a Lancashire audience to some traditional South Yorkshire carols.

With a stage adorned with fairy lights and Christmas trees and with illuminated stars hanging above it, the Guild Hall was transformed into Kate’s personal grotto.

Many of the songs came from her seasonal album Sweet Bells with the odd new song from her latest CD Little Lights thrown in for good measure.

The purity of voice has to be heard to be believed and the additional musicians added another level to this special show.

As regular Rusby watchers will know, the bits in between songs are as entertaining as the songs themselves and - in spite of a cold - Ms Rusby was in fine form.

Hopefully the Kate Rusby Christmas show will become an annual event.

It’s a sure fire way of beating the winter chills.