Leah Kirk (vocals) with Alan Law (Piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Theo Nolan (drums)
Leah Kirk's time at Newcastle University seems to have flown by. First heard at Newcastle Arts Centre's fabled jam session, this afternoon, third year music student Leah gave her final recital. Taking to the stage with three Black Swan (Newcastle Arts Centre) jam session regulars, Leah presented seven songs for consideration by the examiners.
Opening with Leonard Feather's lyrics to Benny Golson's Whisper Not, it was immediately clear that, nervous or not, Leah was in fine voice. Accompanists Alan Law, Paul Grainger and Theo Nolan did what they were there to do - provide sympathetic support to the examinee.
Skylark (comp. H. Carmichael; lyrics J. Mercer) and Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (comp. H. Arlen; lyrics T. Koehler) - two numbers not unknown to Leah's vocal tutor, Ruth Lambert! - went down a treat and it wasn't long before Leah was announcing the penultimate number in her set, It Ain't Necessarily So. Leah informed her audience she would sing the Gershwins' song very slowly. And that's precisely what she did. No hiding place!
To conclude her recital, Leah went out on an upbeat note singing Hard Hearted Hannah (The Vamp of Savannah). It had been an enjoyable forty or so minutes, enjoyable for those listening, and, almost certainly, for Leah Kirk. Many congratulations.
Note: the photo of Leah is from the BSH archives. Russell
Recital programme: Whisper Not; Skylark; Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea; You Played on My Piano; Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise; It Ain't Necessarily So; Hard Hearted Hannah.
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