Last updated 09:19, Friday, 10 October 2008

Julie Matthews, Monkey Tree House, WigtonJulie Matthews obviously had some dedicated fans present for her second visit to the Monkey Tree. Julie’s fine voice lends itself to the haunting melodies she composes and her meaningful lyrics and also to the anger she feels in such songs as Britannia.

Though the audience was still transfixed by the melancholy cocoon she had woven, there was laughter when Julie said “I’ll do something happy now!”

And everyone entered into the spirit of Pass it On and What goes Around.

A born musician Julie switches instruments with ease and the session with the keyboard, showed her as an accomplished pianist.

She has written songs about the various countries she has visited on tour and added one to her programme – Take These Bones – which she had never sung in public before. The harrowing story, which she told before she sang, of the ’comfort women’ of Japan in World War Two, was worth the telling, giving the audience an insight into a national cruelty only now being brought to light.

Little Man Jake and The Light in You lifted the spirits and her concert ended with Minstrel’s Lullaby.

Julie is now on tour and will be at the Carlisle Blues Club soon.

MARY HESLAM