Merchant re-emerges with rounded Edge for Pops gig

It never hurts to re-invent yourself. And what better place to do it than Symphony Hall, in front of that ultimate chameleon of ensembles, the Boston Pops?
Singer/songwriter Natalie Merchant, taking the stage with Keith Lockhart and the Pops orchestra, tried out her made-over style in front of a modest audience last night.
Four seasons ago, the Pops introduced EdgeFest, which presents artists from outside of Symphony Hall, as conductor Keith Lockhart said from the stage. The idea is both obvious - get the kids in the door - and successful, turning Symphony Hall into an upbeat venue with various musicians performing before and after the main concert, tucked away in side rooms usually reserved for the white wine-and-brie boosters. Previous Edgers included Guster and My Morning Jacket, who seemed to tackle the this-is-not-your-Mommy’s-Pops notion with appropriate recklessness.



The time, the seek-and-promote mission turned up Merchant, erstwhile front-chanteuse of 10,000 Maniacs, subsequent multi-mega selling solo artist, and now, after an extended exile from the hit parade, back onstage to explore her introspective side.
The fans who came for “Jealousy” and other staples of her stardom left unfulfilled. Instead, the suprisingly sparse crowd received a dozen new works, almost all premieres, inspired by cultural sources both well known (Verdi, Shakespeare) and obscure (Henry Darger).
She sipped tea to alleviate a cold, which seeemed an appropriate symbol.
The music, written by Merchant and backed by her own orchestrations and those of heavyweights like Gavin Bryers and Sean O’Loughlin, stayed mellow, mid-tempo and reflective. No decibel meters threatened, no pulses quickened. Merchant knows her way around a mike, and sings with charm and intelligent phrasing. The instrumental work was soothing, with some interesting solos (kudos to cellist Mihail Jojatu), but edgy? Nah.
The Pops opened the evening with four movements from Gustav Holst’s “The Planets,” complete with video footage from NASA.
keithpowers@earthlink.net

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