Reviews

Some of the nice things people have said about various performances.

Review from Geoff Mackrell at Budleigh Probus Club Decmenber 2025.For Devon Historical and Hysterical talk.

Never in all my time as speaker finder have I had SO many positive comments. Same time next year please.

 

Review for Maggie and Bob from Ben Campbell Folk on the Moor. Folk Club. February 2025

Add together a voice redolent of Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell,well crafted songs ,a liberal helping of of anecdote and humour and the technically brilliant accompaniment of Bob Thomson and you have an evening of super entertainment. Brixham-born and based Maggie Duffy has a well established  pedigree on the south-west folk scene. She has a good eye for a lyric and a good ear for a melody,and an impressive array of accents !!. Her songs range across stories and local legends and some more reflective subjects. They are well crafted and delivered in style. Bob Thomson supplies an excellent level of support,with technically accurate lead riffs and steady rhythmic underpinning He also makes an impressive Bob Dylan as a side benefit. A most enjoyable evening.

From Maureen and Ray who attended the Folk Music Afternoon at RHS Rosemoor Torrington August 2025

What and unexpected treat. We attended the Rosemoor Flower Festival and found Maggie who was singing at the afternoon music event. Such a great singer of well known favourites and her own compositions. Also a wonderful story teller. Thank you Maggie Maureen and Ray x

Also from a lovely lady and gent who attended Rosemoor folk afternoon,sadly I cannot make out the names they left on the review card.

We think Maggie is Harvey Andrews in a dress !!!!!. LOVED her thoughtful and brilliant songs xx

 

From Aileen at Plymtree WI on the Devon talk.

Quite the most entertaining evening our club has ever had !

From Jill at Exmouth U3A (the weather was awful that day)

Such a GREAT performance. What  a pleasant surprise to come and  hear a morning of such a packed range of talent, stirring up loads of thoughts,memories and emotions. Thank you for braving the elements x

From John who attended my All at Sea concert for Paignton Arts week.

Superb entertainment by a gifted singer and raconteur. Thank you from John

From Tricia who came to my Devon talk at Ide community centre. 2025

Wonderful, entertaining I so throughly enjoyed the performance.Not a part of it that was not  professional and entertaining. Maggie has a perfect singing voice and wonderful stories to tell.

From Martha at Dulverton U3A February 2025. For their AGM I performed the Devon Programme

Dear Maggie Thank you for a wonderfully entertaining morning.Not many AGMs  have such laughter and lovely music that uplifted our spirits. What a stunning voice you have. You are lucky to be able to bring such joy to people. Again many thanks Martha W

Also from Andy at Dulverton U3A (my set was just over an hour)

What great entertainment. How we wish we could have let you go on for much longer !!. A wonderful range of folk music and brilliant annecdotes. Andy

 

 

Maggie and Mike drew a good audience, and deservedly so, with a programme of Maggie's own songs (save an encore of a spell binding rendition of Leonard Cohen's Song of Bernadette). Highlights included Fisherman John, a moving but warm tribute to a local Brixham Fisherman, and the hard hitting Cheap Daily Life with reference to the farmers against the supermarket struggle.

Maggie's superb voice was ably assisted by Mike's amazing whistle and bass playing.

Although these days I live in New Zealand, I was born and raised in a small fishing town in the West of England. Although my dad was a foreigner (although still born in Devon, it was all of 30 miles away), my mum was from a solid Brixham family, and I grew up in a community where it paid to be nice to everyone as it was possible that we were related in some way! Like many of my generation I left to get my degree, and although I did return for a few years I departed permanently more than 30 years ago and have only ever been back for the odd visit. But even though “my” Brixham now only exists in my memories, or in the watercolour on my lounge wall, I still know that is where my roots truly lie, in the small town where I was born, as was my mum, as was her mum, as was her mum back for many generations.

So why am I telling you all this? One day last year my sister sent me a link to a YouTube video for a song called “Fisherman John”, which is all about a jack the lad called John Quigley, written and sung by Maggie Duffy. This immediately piqued my interest as not only was it a really enjoyable folk number, but I knew the person she was singing about. Quigs was a trawler skipper, and a mate of my dad’s, and when I was a teenager, he was a person I knew fairly well. All this led me to contacting Maggie, and after a few emails it transpired she knew both my dad and sister, and from there it was just a small step to grabbing her latest album. I have just been undertaking some research, and for some reason or another I am unable to find a single review for this album, nor much information on who is involved. I know Maggie sings and plays acoustic, while she was definitely joined by Bob Thomson are various instruments, while it is possible that Phil Beer (Show of Hands) was also involved as there is some fiddle here and there and he has worked with Maggie in the past.

There is always a concern for me when I contact an artist, as opposed to the other way round which is far more normal, as I have sought them out and what happens if I do not like the album for some reason? There was a huge sigh of relief on my part when I realised within a few bars of the first song, which is the title cut, that I had hit upon an absolute gem. On her site Maggie lists some of the artists she has worked with or supported, and they include the likes of Fairport Convention, Phil Beer, Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham, Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin(Edgelarks), Blazin’ Fiddles, The Albion Band and many others, and that experience shines through on this release. Her vocals are pure and clear, somewhat like Judy Dyble, with plenty of emotion and control. One of the songs on the album, “Yondercott”, is just Maggie singing (with some very gentle reverb), and no accompaniment whatsoever, yet it captures and transports the listener from the first note to the very last.

It is hard to pick a favourite, but the title track is wonderful, and it is no surprise that it has been picking up awards. Here we have two intertwined acoustic guitars, with wonderful lyrics (which made me think), and a bright melody. I can imagine Steve Knightley having a load of fun with this one, as it is very reminiscent indeed of Show of Hands, but just with acoustic guitars, no need for a double bass or percussion. The lack of bottom end or drums means the whole album has a very light and delicate feel, with Maggie’s vocals always to the fore, with strong lyrics and melodies. This is modern folk as opposed to sitting firmly in the tradition, and it is light and airy, full of joy. I can only hope that more people discover this wonderful album and artist, and this is a delight from beginning to end.

Rating: 9/10