An Evening with Horse McDonald

11 November 2010 was a special date for a few people I know, and for several others I do not. One couple, my husband and I, celebrated our anniversary that evening at a concert by our friend, the fabulous Horse McDonald. I was a bit worried for our mate, though, as in the weeks prior she told me of her cold or flu affecting her sound, evident in telephone calls, and even upon arriving at Bush Hall in London on the afternoon of her show. All fears dashed when she hit the stage on this tour commemorating her own anniversary: 20 years since the release of her debut album ‘The Same Sky’ featuring UK chart singles ‘You Could Be Forgivien’, ‘Speed Of The Beat’, and ‘Careful’, featured below:

Aside from her immense talent, this woman has a heart larger than most. Through the friendship we formed because of her inclusion in my documentary ‘PROUD!’ I know the love she has for all of her fans, and the concerns she has for her fellow-members of the human race. Tightly sandwiched into the little time she had between sound checks and dressing for the show, Horse gave an interview and acoustic recording for a charity. She also spoke with Cindy Armstrong about her scheduled appearance at Cindy’s GLBT event in February 2011. Not surprisingly, other recording artists I talk to love her just as much, and had me pass along hugs to her from them. The highlight of the evening, for us personally, was when Horse dedicated ‘Somebody’ to Patrick and me for our milestone.

One sure sign of great artists is when other top-notch ones cover their work. At Glastonbury Music Festival, multi-award winning Will Young covered, ‘Careful’ in this moving arrangement:

Ending the perfect concert, after three audience-demanded encores, Horse finished with ‘Something Wicked’, bringing the room to its feet. Below is the video featuring a guest appearance by fellow Scottish celebrity, the beautiful Lorraine Kelly.

Once home, at 3AM the next morning, Patrick went to bed convinced we had the best anniversary ever by attending a concert of a good friend. Or, as we like to think, our anniversary party with Horse singing.