SIDETRACKS & DETOURS Sunday 15th March 2026: with Rascallity Harp Duo
RASCALLITY HARP DUO
Toad Lane Concerts at St Mary in the Baum
Reviews by Dr Joe Dawson
Dr. Joe Dawson (right) is a very familiar figure at occasions musical in Rochdale, not least the Rochdale Music Society Concert series. Joe was invited to become the our President of RMS following the sad death of Joe Fitton.
Dr.Joe was educated at Rochdale Grammar School and Manchester’s Royal College of Music, College of Education and University. He held senior positions in schools and colleges for over twenty years and through the 1980s was founder-MD of Rochdale Amateur Orchestra. He now teaches singing, piano and theory privately and organises Rochdale’s weekly Toad Lane Concerts and continues to be an active musician. An original subscriber to Rochdale Music Society he has also reviewed almost every concert since 1988 as Music Correspondent to the Rochdale Observer.
By way of distraction he studies Law and English with the Open University.
Here he speaks of the rarity of concerts by two harps, so I should perhaps add how rarely Sidetracks & Detours feature two reviews of the same artist in one issue. We do so here because we love how effortlessly Dr. Joe passes on his musical knowledge without it ever sounding like a lecture The two reviews that follow, from last year and this year, exemplify that and the genres explored by Rascallity Harp Duo.
RASCALLITY HARP DUO:
last year and this year: reviews by Dr. Joe Dawson
To hear a solo concert harp live is a rare thing. To hear a pair of them is extraordinary. These two first rate musicians have made several appearances at Toad Lane Concerts since they formed their duo as students at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). They acknowledged that the acoustics in St Mary in the Baum Church are ideal, allowing a full range of playing to project beautifully.
They began with two of their own arrangements: Einaudi’s I Giorni and the premiere of Kitty Macgennis by Turlough O’Carolan. Their fluent symbiotic playing relationship seemed almost to create a double harp.
Kathryn took the first solo, Tickled Pink by Savourna Stevenson – before the seamless working together of pieces by Ailie Robertson and Monika Stadler’ in their unique Rascallity Harp Duo sound.
Alice’s solo was her own transcription of Dido’s Lament by Henry Purcell which, being Baroque, was a stunning contrast. The repeated bass pattern throughout is a descending chromatic scale, which requires skilful manoeuvring of the foot pedals as well as playing a melody with accompaniment – fantastic.
‘John R’ by Dorothy Ashby was interesting as the duo’s name ‘Rascallity’ (and spelling) came from a famous number by this ground-breaking American jazz harpist of the 1960s: very exciting complete with drumming and slaps on the instruments.
An atmospheric arrangement of the modern folk hit, Black Is The Colour arranged by Alice ended with a touch of swing. This took us into her arrangement of the well-known Caravan by Duke Ellington and Juan Tizol, a real toe-tapping slinky finale number.
One harp is heavenly, two divine – a celestial duo indeed.
I remember making a mental note to self that we should definitely invite this innovative duo to t make another return visit next year.
Next year is already a couple of months old, as are in February 2026,…..and there has been more Rascallity !
Twelve months to the week since the above concert, Rascallity Harp Duo (left) were back in February in 2026.
This hypnotic Toad Lane Concert at St Mary in the Baum was the 1,173rd since taking over from Rochdale council in 2001. First-rate musicians Rascallity Harp Duo have made several appearances here since they formed as students; they delight in the excellent acoustics in which they can get the most out of their playing and repertoire and are unafraid of taking on any musical style.
Soloist and teacher Kathryn Mason gained a first-class BMus and a master’s from the Royal Northern College of Music.
Alice Roberts graduated first-class from the joint course of Manchester University (where she gained awards for the highest mark in 2016 and 2018) and the RNCM (where in 2020 she became the first harpist to win the Gold Medal). Both are now freelance soloists and also work with a wide range of ensembles and genres. Variety certainly is the spice of their lives.
The sight of two concert harps together was in itself impressive; and the sound atmospheric.
The fearless introduction of a contemporary musical world where normally extraneous sounds, such as taps on the cases, percussion, even vocals, become part of the language, is a mark of this duo. A third member of this ensemble was the acoustic space in which they interacted. The whole became greater than the sum of its parts.
They produced a sparkling soundscape in Sea of Stars by Lauren Scott and even more so in French-Canadian composer, Caroline Lizotte’s Stellae Saltantem, with its classical storyline of Ariadne, played by a terrestrial Kathryn and a celestial Alice.
With flavours of folk and traces of jazz and New Age, Monica Stadler’s Preseli Skies and On the Water were further enriched with improvisation.
Even more experimental were works by Bernard Andres and Caroline Lizotte with added percussion and use of SE Asian Raga structures. Rascallity Harp Duo are doing contemporary music and the public a great service by programming it and performing it so well.
The finale was a more relaxed, yet vibrant, Caravan by Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington. This American jazz standard was first recorded by Barney Bigard and his Jazzopators in 1936 and has since been covered in over 500 versions. This superb arrangement by Alice Roberts is a worthy successor and could become a great signature tune for them.
The Queen’s Award-winning Toad Lane Concerts are performed every Wednesday at 12.30pm at the Grade 1 listed church of St Mary in the Baum, Toad Lane, Rochdale, OL16 1DZ.
Entrance fee is £6. Contact 01706 648872 for further information.
Sidetracks & Detours are grateful to Steve Cooke at all across the arts, and to Dr. Joe Dawson for their willingness to all us to share these reviews.
AN ISLAND LIFE WELL-LIVED
commended by Oscar Noda, Yaiza City Council
Brígida Camacho, about to turn 86, perfectly embodies the strength of the working women of the municipality of Yaiza, and indeed of the entire working women of the whole island. Like her, many local women have contributed to the progress of Lanzarote in various productive sectors through their perseverance. In her case, she worked in the new industry, (at that time) of tourism, dedicating herself wholeheartedly to the restaurant and hospitality business sector, managing family businesses such as a bar and guesthouse alongside her late husband, Cristóbal Santana. They raised their five children working tirelessly, achieving the financial security that now allows Brígida to enjoy a peaceful retirement without financial worries.
On 8th March, the occasion of International Women’s Day 2026, the City Council, presided over by Óscar Noda, highlighted the career of this cheerful resident of Playa Blanca, for ´embodying the value of perseverance and strugge in entrepreneurship and active and supportive participation in community life.
In thanking him, Brigida (left) revealed a lifelong passion and commitment to her work and customer service:
I loved my bar so much that I was always in the kitchen, peeking out to solve problems and talk to people.
From a very young age, she had to juggle housework with caring for her eight siblings, acting as the head of the household:
I don’t know how we managed to get by because my father died, and my mother and I took care of all my siblings.
When Brígida was nine years old, her family moved from Las Breñas to Playa Blanca, and there began her remarkable journey in the coastal town. Her father was a fisherman who would go out to sea, leaving her to care for her siblings and walk long distances in search of food, so she had little time to attend school. Interestingly, Brígida Camacho was the first woman to enroll in the Adult Education Center in Playa Blanca, where she learned to read and write fluently.
She met her life partner, Cristóbal, and together they embarked on the adventure of opening a bar. Brígida would dry fish at home, and her husband would bring crabs and limpets, among other seafood delicacies. That’s how it all began; from their shared conviction and hard work, ‘Casa Brígida’ was born. While she served from her kitchen window in Playa Blanca, Cristóbal spent long days searching for seafood. The business gradually gained popularity.
The small bar that served construction workers on the Playa Blanca pier and the first hotel in the south, the Lanzarote Princess, gradually transformed into a restaurant in their home, where they lived with their children. The patio, characterized by enormous ferns hanging from the ceiling, served as the dining room, surrounded by family rooms.
‘Casa Brígida’ was no longer just a workers’ dining hall; over time, it became a popular spot for diners from other towns who came to Playa Blanca on weekends to enjoy paella, seafood, and fresh fish hand-picked by the customers. As the children grew up, Brígida, Cristóbal, and their five sons formed a cohesive team, some working in the dining room and others in the kitchen.
And as necessity gives rise to new opportunities, some customers demanded not only food but also a comfortable place to stay. The bar then embarked on the adventure of building rooms to meet the needs of its clientele, and from Casa Brígida, ‘Apartamentos Brígida’ was born. Even then, foreigners were staying for extended periods, to the point that French and Belgians came to feel like part of the Santana Camacho family.
The demanding work never dimmed Brígida’s cheerful face; a self-proclaimed natural party goer and unstoppable carnival enthusiast, she was a tenacious, courageous, supportive, and incredibly loving woman, always ready to lend a hand to anyone in need. And because everyone who works also has the right to rest, in 2005, she and her husband decided to leave their businesses to travel and enjoy time with their children and grandchildren. Throughout their journey, they also made many clients and friends with whom they travelled the world. An example of life, work, and overcoming adversity, which Yaiza was delighted to hear highlighted.
The above article first appeared in the excllent Voz newspaper on line.
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Sunday 29th March featuring
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&
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Sunday April 5th featuring
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chapter two
by
Peter Pearson & Norman Warwick
featuring
BILL MORRISEY & GARY HALL
Sunday 12th April featuring
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featuring
KAREN KINGLEY pianist
&
THE FREE RADICALS a cappella
Sunday 19th April featuring
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featuring
ELYSSE MASON, THE TAILS, 25th HOUR, COYOTE
&
DJ ADAM STATHAM
Sunday 26th April featuring
GORILLAZ IN THE MISSED OPPORTUNITY?
featuring
reviews of The Mountain
Sunday 3rd May featuring
HOW MUSIC MOVES IN US AND AROUND US
an appreciation of
DAVE COUSINS & HIS STRAWBS ASSOCIATES
Sunday 10th May featuring
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU´RE LONESOME?
The life and legacy
JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE
Sunday 17th May
WHERE IMAGINATION BEGINS.
Sunday 24th May featuring
CANARY ISLANDS IN CRUISE CONTROL
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