One of the country’s leading folk ensembles, The Shee play to an attentive audience as they return to Lichfield Guildhall. The group, Lillias Kinsman-Blake on flute, Shona Mooney on fiddle, Rachel Newton on electroharp, and vocals, Olivia Ross on fiddle, viola and vocals, Laura-Beth Salter on mandolin and vocals and Amy Thatcher on accordion, and clog dancing play music from the traditions of Folk, Celtic and Americana in a way that was both innovative and in keeping with tradition.

The ensemble start off with ‘Troubles’, a brooding bluegrass Appalachian song that features soaring vocal harmonies, and an internal dynamic that manages to change pace without the need for a traditional drummer. ‘Happy Halloween’ is a spirited instrumental for all of the group members, whilst a rendition of traditional Gaelic mouth music from Rachel Newton is an early highlight. The ballad ‘The Morning Star’ is an affecting piece with some heartfelt vocals from Olivia Ross, and violin and flute parts that tug at the heart-strings, whilst Scottish bagpipe music was the inspiration behind ‘Pipes and Polly’s’. The darker side of human experience is drawn on for the closing song of the first half, a harmony laden, and musically complex reading of Abigail Washburn’s ‘Sugar and Pie’ the deftness and sweetness of the instrumental arrangement hiding the bitterness of the underlying message.

In the second half, the music develops a slightly more experimental flavour, with opener ‘McRibbon's Lament’ a ballad for the voices of Olivia Ross and Rachel Newton, and a sparse, but very effective musical soundscape. The instrumental ‘Starlings’ is a piece that combined dance bass and rhythms from the electroharp with effective tune playing, and sterling support from the mandolin and accordion, whilst the haunting, ethereal murder ballad ‘Three Knights’ has a middle eastern sounding tone to the soundscape. 'Sugarwine'on the other hand is a bright, feel good folk song about the excitement and possibilities of a brand new relationship. ‘The Drunken Duck’ is another upbeat piece that built on a melodic phrase and added dynamics as it evolves. The traditional folk song ‘Tom Paine’s Bones’ is a boisterous affair that allows for some more harmony singing and spirited playing from the band, whilst set closer ‘Inge’s’ works as a showcase for Amy Thatcher’s clog dancing and accordion playing.

An encore of ‘Down In The ditch’ is another traditionally based piece that comes to its fullest realisation within the live arena. The six piece packs a lot into their two hour set, from the most delicate of ballads, to some raucous pieces, meaning that there was something for everyone.