THEA Gilmore stole the show at a double-bill event with Kathryn Williams at the Women's Arts International Festival event on Saturday.

Gilmore is now one of Britain's most talented and accomplished singer-songwriters, and her performance gave listeners no doubt about this status.

Her strong presence made a connection with the audience immediately.

She and her partner, guitarist Nigel Stonier, performed a mix of songs, including work form her recent album, Harpo's Ghost. Red White & Black is a powerful piece written after Gilmore toured the US with Joan Baez during the last presidential election campaign.

Gilmore's voice is slightly smoky, clear and controlled. Her lyrics are sharp; she cuts to the chase but isn't so blunt as to turn off the listener. She often gets the folk singer tag, but is so much more a folk-rock-blues-jazz artist.

By comparison Kathryn Williams seemed over-awed by the event. She coughed, asked for the lights to be turned down, sometimes forgot lyrics and at times seemed uncomfortable.

At live performances Williams will sometimes play her guitar with a violin bow - the sound is rich and resonant. During Saturday's set the audience got less than three seconds of this magic before Williams abandoned the attempt in what seemed to be embarrassment.

Williams is incredibly talented and gave glimpses of her power when she performed Let It Happen, Little Black Numbers, and Armchair - a song from her upcoming album. But this was a generally disappointing event for fans - many of whom had travelled far and paid £15 to see Williams live.

Sheelagh Caygill