There are not many times in a professional singer’s life when she spontaneously yields the stage to a member of the audience. It happened Friday night when Lisa Lambe called young Molly O’Sullivan up on to the stage to sing the chorus of her song Hazelwood with the support of John McLaughlin on guitar and Ruth O’Mahony Brady on keyboards.
Molly, a seasoned Lisa fan, had caught the singer’s ear, and sang the air as to the manner born, in a moment that delighted the capacity attendance at the GLAS Christmas concert in Geneva’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.
For the rest of the programme Lisa’s powerful voice raised the rafters in the old church as she worked through her own songbook of material from her debut solo album Hiding Away and her new album due for release in the new year. There is a folk and country feel to much of her material.
She delivered a stunning version of The Parting Glass accompanied by beautiful low-key guitar work from McLaughlin. Ruth came into her own as she sang with Lisa on an excellent interpretation of Joni Mitchell’s song River.
Lisa is as comfortable singing in Irish as in English. She gave a wonderful rendition of the old Irish Christmas song Don Oiche Ud i Mbeithil and the Wexford Carol.
She closed the evening with a seasonal flourish, following White Christmas with a bilingual version of Silent Night, which brought the audience to its feet before everyone went home happy.
Not only was a great night had by all but CHF 7,100 was raised for the Edith Wilkins Foundation for Street Children, thanks to generous sponsorship which included the ever popular GLAS raffle sponsored by Charly O’Neill’s pub and restaurant.