Kathryn Tickell lights up the Corn Hall with the Darkening

Posted on 29th September 2021

Kathryn Tickell is a composer, a recording artist, a Radio 3 presenter, and probably one the country’s best pipe players. She’s made a career out of exploring the musical heritage of her native Northumbria (from whence those pipes came) but on this occasion she was in Diss with her band, The Darkening.

The concert quickly settled into a pattern, whereby Tickell would chat for a bit before launching into a tune inspired by the wind-blown, unforgiving landscape of her home. One got the sense she couldn’t quite believe she was back on stage and simply had to share her wonderment. Just as pleased to be performing were Joe Truswell on drums, Kieran Szifris on octave mandolin, Amy Thatcher on accordion, and newcomer Stef Conner on lyre. Conner’s haunting vocals has allowed their sound to develop considerably since the band’s inception – they first performed as part of the Norwich festival in 2018 – and when not taking on lead duties, she formed one part of some beautiful vocal harmonies.

There was still room for some old favourites – both Reynard the Fox and the Hymn to Nemesis made an appearance – but most of the evening was given over to the music of the new album, Hollowbone. It made for an eclectic evening, drawing on influences as disparate as children’s rhymes, 80s synth pop and her Dad’s creative writing course. We even got some clog dancing thrown in from Amy Thatcher for good measure, and you can’t say fairer than that.