“Every day when I wake up, I thank the Lord I’m Welsh,” carolled Cerys Matthews, and not only do I agree with her but I’m grateful, too.
Born in 1969, the young girl from Cardiff was playing the guitar aged nine and soon singing Irish and American folk songs along with it. She joined the West Glamorgan Youth Orchestra and spun off into singing lead vocal for rock band Catatonia. Talent, good looks, charm and energy propelled her into starry television programmes and hit recordings.
Now, touring as “Cerys by candlelight”, she attracts old and new audiences to a magical evening of songs, poetry and audience participation.
At The Old Market on Saturday, Under Milk Wood – comically adapted to Under Hove in homage to Dylan Thomas – provided a local focus for favourite Scottish songs of blood and gore, traditional ballads and wonderfully rhythmic hits from Guthrie and the other Dylan. “Methodist revival or country and western?” she asked and then, superbly, sang both.
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