We arrived in good time and got more than we bargained for as Serita was on after three other performers. They probably got less than they bargained for, as besides groups that came to listen to other performers there were very few others in the venue that Monday night.
Rosie Dunn sang and played guitar, had a nice voice, and introduced each song, most of which she had written herself. The couple from Salt Lake City sang songs that were not to my taste, but they were great folk and it was good talking to them after their set. Judith Ude had an easy manner introducing hers songs, and a powerful voice with a touch of African sound, which came across very well in the songs she had written herself.
I was already familiar with some of Serita's songs, having bought then on iTunes. I was really glad to hear her in person, and enjoy her music much more than I did before.
She has a very distinctive voice, which the recordings do not fully do justice to, especially in the higher registers. Having now heard her sing live, I can pick out more of the qualities of her voice even in the higher notes, though the lower ones are reproduced with a richer in tone.
To say that Serita sings accompanied with guitar would be to downplay the guitar. Her guitar is as much part of the performance as her voice. It sounded great when she was alone on the stage and even richer when she was joined by Simon Blake on the drums and Martin Ledger on base guitar. They had some good instrumental moments together which added to the evening. I have listened to the recordings quite differently since.
What stood out most about the live performance was the way Serita's voice blended with the instruments. Her voice never overwhelmed the accompaniment as some of the other singers did, nor was it ever drowned out. It was always there, nicely in balance, giving a distinctive voice alongside the rich sound of the instruments.
Serita's songs are largely love songs that go down well in a music venue, without it being very obvious that they are worship songs, sung to God by one of his children. The message is good, and the musicianship and performance added up to a great evening.
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