BARBARA DICKSON's Star Shines Bright for Swanfest

Last Saturday night (25^thJuly) Barbara Dickson brought a star performance to the intimate setting of a local festival at the 2^ndSwanfest Folk, Ale & Cider festival.

Luring a multi-award and platinum album performer to play at The Swan in the small village of Ascott-under-Wychwood was a major coup for pub's owners, Richard Haddon andMichiel Verkoren, both with theatrical backgrounds of their own.

Barbara, accompanied on keyboard and vocals by Nick Holland, began with one of her best known songs: "Another Suitcase, Another Hall' from Evita followed by ‘Winter's Come' from her latest album ‘Winter' out earlier this year. The first of many songs sung in tribute to her friend Gerry Rafferty, who she recorded with at the now defunct studios in Chipping Norton.

Refreshingly, she wasn't just there just to plug her latest release and the set included a mix from each decade of her long career and numerous albums. (So numerous she needed a crib sheet to check their titles!). Each song was blessed with Barbara's haunting, melodic - and melancholy - interpretation, including ‘Tell Me It's Not True' from Blood Brothers which launched her to fame, as well as the melodic ‘Rigs O' Rye' which was ‘the first song I learnt and the first song I sung on TV in 1968." The audience was spellbound.

Barbara headlined the festival which featured a line-up of local folk musicians including Chalice, Blondes with Beards, Mad Larry, The Skeptics, Pete Joshua, and Toots and Fraser.

Afterwards, fan Janet Vallance, who had come from Wiltshire with her friend Jenny Durham from Aldershot said "I loved every minute of it, we are big fans. I love her to bits. It was an absolutely amazing, brilliant festival." She enthused about the line-up, "There so many bands - all different. We loved Blondes with Beards, Chalice and Mad Larry ... we loved them all. We will definitely be back next year."

Barbara Dickson with fans Janet Vallance (right) and Jenny Durham (left)

Mark Pigeon of the Wychwood Folk Club who helped with theevent said: "The festival is all about getting people to enjoy themselves. That is what makes it all worthwhile. And we have given local artistes the opportunity to play on the same bill with an internationally known artist."

It was a fabulous festival - and one which will be hard to top next year. Summer at the Swan continues with its next event, the Summer Party and Village Shindig on 21 August, featuring The Wurzels,‘Ultimate Elton' and ‘The Birmingham Blues Brothers'. Tickets £25 from The Swanhttp://www.swanatascott.com/

Barbara Dickson

The Skeptics

Fraser - Toots and Fraser

ENDS

For more information, photographs and to arrange interviews please contact Sarah Airey, The Buzzworks, telephone 07855 086447 or emailsarah.airey@thebuzzworks.co.uk