Methera @ The Hollywell Music Rooms 10/11/2010
If I had to sum up tonight’s gig in one word I think it would have to be sublime. That moment when a great band (more on them shortly), a lovely venue (tonight we are treated to the fantastic acoustics and ambience that only the oldest custom-built concert hall in Europe (the Hollywell Music rooms) can provide) and some pretty good company (in the form of the other string players from my band) combine to provide an experience that seems to go well beyond the sum of its parts.
Methera have been together since meeting at a Chris Wood workshop at Ruskin Mill (the name, in case you’re interested comes from the old shepherds way of counting; yan, tan, tethera, methera etc. Methera being the number 4). Their self titled debut was issued in 2008 and they have just released a further live album. Although ostensibly a ‘straight’ string quartet (violins - Emma Reid, John Dipper, viola - Miranda Rutter and cello Lucy Deakin) their arrangements of tunes are anything but ordinary. Tonight’s gig has been put on by the Oxford fiddle group and their conductor Tom provides an enthusiastic introduction. “Tonight we are treated to the wonderful sound of Methera, although many Quartets have played here since this building was built I doubt any have been quite like this one. Without any further ado Methera”. The four musicians arrive, all clothed in subtly different shades of brown, to take one of four seats facing each other in the middle of the room (the audience are arranged on the outside of this and there are even chairs on what should be the stage). There is no immediate introduction instead the quartet launch into their first tune and the 90 minutes that follow create swirling pattern of tunes/ideas/feelings that prove what capable musicians all of Methera are.
Emma Reid seems to take the immediate lead with her strong fiddle style, but the pure English consistency of John Dipper isn’t far behind and the viola and cello also vie for their share of the tunes. The member’s take it in turns to explain a little about the origins of the traditional tunes being played or provide background to their own compositions. Despite all instruments playing at the same time nothing directly competes with anything else, they all fit together in such a way that each player is contributing equally to the glorious sound now emanating from the quadrant. What is even more surprising is there is still the space for the subtleties of the individuals sound and nuances to be appreciated. Throughout the gig the musicians swap chairs and the cube becomes closer together as they are drawn forwards by their need to hear and watch each other. Far from excluding the audience however the music and the interaction of the band means the tunes take you with them. We are treated to a mixture from both albums tonight about half traditional (Cobblers Hornpipe, Seven Stars & Gower Wassail) interspersed between band compositions like John Dippers Dragon Food, Emma Reid’s Fine Lady and 1st of September, a tune about birds swooping over a canal by Miranda Rutter. Indeed a lot of the playing seems to draw on natural themes and images. Whilst listening to a tune during the latter half I’m reminded of being stood on the shore of Skye just as the dawn was breaking, there was no one else about just me, the sea and a lot of pebbles on the shore. The sun hit the water and the light turned the scene into something almost unreal, into something I’d never seen before (or since). Just for a second the whole world seemed to stop and be perfect, then just as quickly the moment broke. With Methera however these moments keep building and building and when the end of the set comes there is just pure silence, no one can quite bring themselves to cut the magical threads of sound that swirl round the band, drifting to the ceiling. Finally however we fall back down and the applause starts. I begin to wonder if I was the only one affected as the everyday business of leaving the venue starts around us. But looking around during the gig everyone’s faces told the same story, what was happening in the centre of the floor was something very special indeed. I don’t know what blend of Alchemy Methera summoned, all I know is throughout warm summer days and cold winter evening their music should find a place with everyone.
Vikki
