Laura Cortese & Bert Ruymbeek: how lockdown turned life partners into musical partners
Laura Cortese & Bert Ruymbeek
at The Forge, Basingstoke
on Saturday, May 31
Review by STEPHEN OTTNER
THE modest number of folks who were drawn to The Forge to see Laura Cortese & Bert Ruymbeek were rewarded not only with heartfelt music skilfully delivered but the story of the development of a relationship.
Laura and Bert met on a choppy crossing to the mainland at the end of a Shetland Folk Festival.
Living in the moment, they kissed and knew the relationship could not go further with Laura living in Boston and Bert in Ghent, Belgium.
That introduced a song written about that crossing. Laura moved to Ghent and their number one rule was they would be life partners but not musical partners.
Lockdown changed that when the only option was to play with someone you were bubbled with. Some good things did emerge from lockdown and this was one such.
Laura is a fabulous fiddler steeped in Celtic and Old Time music with a wonderful voice. Bert is an accomplished button accordion played influenced by Northern European folk music. Their set was mainly their own compositions narrating points in their life together. The songs, and tunes, were mainly with Laura to the fore with fiddle and voice and Bert adding an extra dimension of breadth and interest.
There was one solo from Bert which demonstrated his mastery of the accordion and the gorgeous tones of his accordion.
Before introducing their “final” song Bert thanked the audience for taking the risk of coming along to hear musicians they have probably never heard of.
Although more music is readily available through the streaming services, he observed that the algorithms drive listeners to the most popular plays making it more difficult to lesser-known artists.
Laura commended the Anvil for the Forge programming of folk and international music – an opinion echoed by this reviewer.
Laura then introduced their song Cry as being wrapped in a melancholy blanket. For the inevitable ‘encore’ they launched into the Jean Richie and Doc Watson classic Swing and Turn to which the audience lustily joined in the chorus.