‘Twas the week before Christmas and all through the Hall

A bevvy of revellers were having a ball

The birdies were hung from the lanterns with care

In hope that great music would soon fill the air…

… and my oh my they weren’t disappointed. No sirree! The eagerly anticipated return of the Bevvy Sisters and The Coaltown Daisies was always bound to be box office catnip and so it proved with a Letham Nights sell-out. The hall practically bulged with party people from near and far all intent on a bit of a winter knees-up.

Those great chums of Letham Nights, The Coaltown Daisies, did us the honour of opening our festivities. Only a heart of stone can fail to be set a flutter by these girls’ mixture of simple acoustic playing and pitch perfect cowgirl harmonies. ‘Hands’ has become a fast favourite with Daisies fans and it was, predictably, a highpoint amongst highpoints this evening. A great strength of The Daisies is the rapport they establish with the audience and no crowd appreciates this more than a Letham Nights crowd. Great banter, two birthday cakes and a last minute Abba cover beautifully showcased a charm that rivals their talent.

The littlest birds may sing the prettiest songs but don’t think The Bevvy Sisters don’t know how to get deep down and dirty too. The Letham Nights veterans really know how to rock the party. Blending amazing voices and terrific musicianship with intelligent song selections and great original material the Bevvys set souls soaring and the dancefloor roaring. Mixing spirituals with country and blues and motown with TV commercials the Bevvys kept the influences rushing by. As momentum built breaks from the dance floor became a near impossibility yet that didn’t stop a crowd nearing exhaustion from bellowing for an encore. Rock my soul indeed!

The avian influence didn’t stop there. We were honoured by the attendance of a close-knit flock of arctic terns and their steward (and great friend of Letham Nights) Deirdre Nelson. Sadly, some of the birds seem to have escaped. If anyone sees one please usher it back to the hall as these are very social birds and, after all, one good tern deserves another. Boom Boom!