Words by George Gray
Photos by Gareth Clark
Over the Christmas break, I found myself back on home soil, immersed again in the musical talent that Oxford has to offer. One gig quickly caught my eye, with Oxford folk-indie legends Stornoway announcing an “unplucked” set at St John the Evangelist (SJE), both a church and a staple in the local scene.
Few artists have such a loyal fan-base, with Stornoway’s intermittent but often much-anticipated homecoming shows in Oxford selling out in seconds. This night was no exception, and with such an intimate venue to accompany their warm, heartfelt sound it was sure to be a winning combo.
As the evening came the heavens opened too, with the rain pelting the streets of Oxford, but as I stepped into the church I was instantly taken aback. SJE opened up in front of me a warm and softly lit venue, with a small stage poking through its exposed beams and pillars.
As the audience milled around, conversations echoing through the congregation, it hit me just how much range there was among the audience. From kids to uni students and those who’ve clearly been there since day one, Stornoway’s music seems to have the unique ability to resonate with all ages.
With the lights dimmed and the crowd hushed, the music began with a local choir enlisted by Stornoway to build the ambience. I’d been told by a couple of photographers as I entered that if I thought the look of the venue was impressive, “just wait until they start singing”, and as the acapella choir began I saw why.
The acoustics of the venue beautifully carried the sound through the chamber, the audience’s attention slowly focusing. It was with the choir’s final song, a rendition of In the Bleak Midwinter that Stornoway emerged, joining the performance mid-harmony from behind the audience.
A sea of heads swivelled to watch as they slowly walked through the crowd to the stage, all eyes fixated upon them it felt a perfect metaphor for their return home to Oxford. The symbiosis between Stornoway and the choir continued with the first full song of the band’s set, Josephine, a fan favourite.
As the set played on, frontman Brian Briggs softly spoke with the audience, sharing conversation and personal tributes as if he were playing to friends on the beach. Stories were recounted from love for Greggs Festive bakes to Stornoway’s history with recording tracks such as Farewell Appalachia in the churches of Oxford for their calming acoustics.
Much-loved classics like Fuel Up played amongst newer tracks such as Dig the Mountain, and the audience was soon in rapture.
A staple of Stornoway’s shows has become their unplugged performances, stripping back the music to even further increase the intimacy of a set. So with this gig celebrating the new Unplucked Album, it was hardly surprising that the band taking it acoustic was received with such excitement.
The crowd hushed as the raw sound of Stornoway’s November Song began. Its rolling melody and nostalgic tones played on the heartstrings of the audience, muted teardrops even rolling down the cheeks of some as the music took over.
Briggs and co, then swiftly brought back their distinctive energy with a volley of faster performances including We Are the Battery Human before a spirited cover of the Talking Heads classic This Must Be the Place.
The Great Procrastinator brought the main portion of the gig to a close, but the standing ovation soon beckoned the boys back on stage. Joined by the choir once again for the encore they performed the sentimental Excelsior before delivering a fitting Christmas mash-up of O Holy Night and Feliz Navidad which really got the crowd going.
There was only one song that could end the night though, and as the first riff was played the entire audience began to sing and hum along to the timeless Zorbing. As the audience, choir and band all came together I looked around to see faces full of warmth and contentment, the perfect ending to a special Christmas gig.
