Judy Collins: Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne. (From Bournemouth Echo)

Judy Collins: Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne.

12:39pm Saturday 20th June 2009

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JUDY Collins was once a seminal sixties folkie hanging out in the clubs of New York’s Greenwich Village.

These days, nudging 70, she looks more like she’s heading for the Grand Ole Oprey. She arrived on stage at the Tivoli, hair piled high and resplendent in a glittering suit.

But who cares? She still has perfect pitch and an astonishing vocal range.

Having said that the Tivoli show wasn’t exactly faultless. It got off to an uncomfortable start with a piano and guitar tuned to entirely different keys.

Collins was soon into her stride however, delivering numbers that ranged from folk to jazz to show tunes with even a traditional whaling song lobbed in for good measure. In addition to the obligatory Both Sides Now and Amazing Grace, she explored material that ranged from Lennon and McCartney’s In My Life to Amy Speace’s moving anti-war song Weight of the World.

There were anecdotes too, including the fact that she has Dorset roots: an ancestor on her father’s side left the county for the New World in 1857.

Having spent the day admiring the local countryside Collins was aghast. “How could he have done it?” she wailed. “It’s far too beautiful to leave.”

Special mention must go to support act, New York singer-songwriter Ali Eskandarian – a serious talent to watch for in the future.

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