EIF – The Alehouse Sessions at The Usher Hall

Expectation can be a deflating experience.

The Alehouse Sessions was hyped to be a raucous immersive encounter with the atmosphere of a 17^th century pub during the time when Cromwell had banned all human joy.

This was part of the beanbag concert series, so we were sat on said fittings. These were fine for the first 20 minutes or so, but perhaps my age meant that sitting on this became uncomfortable which is never going to enhance the event.

Barokksolistene’s music was amusingly performed, being mostly “traditional” tunes from the period. To my philistine aesthetic I find “folk” music falls into two themes, anarchic, joyous defiance or melancholic lament of absence and loss. So, no matter how many actual songs were performed, I was unable to discern more than two.

The “immersive” prospect was never realised since the performers restricted themselves to the stage with a minor exception. Overall, quite enjoyable but not up to what was expected.

https://www.eif.co.uk/events/the-alehouse-sessions