Beth Nielsen Chapman Judie Tzuke Queen's Hall Edinburgh 3rd November 2025 Review
eBeth Nielsen Chapman and Judie Tzuke were at the Queen’s Hall Edinburgh tonight, giving audiences the opportunity to enjoy the music of two gifted singer-songwriters who over long careers have individually created songs that over the years become very special to many people across the world.
This is surprisingly the first time that these two women have toured together and their obvious friendship came about from a chance meeting at a songwriting workshop. Together they co-wrote “Safe” a song later recorded and released by Judie in 2018. This release was part of Judie’s “Woman To Woman” project which also featured Beverley Craven and Julia Fordham. Following on from the response to this song, Judie and Beth explored the possibilities of performing together. That song was, not surprisingly, the opening one for tonight’s concert.
The format for this show was an well-tested one with Beth Nielsen Chapman and Judie Tzuke each taking the spotlight for a song or two and, where appropriate, accompanying one another. Both artists have long careers upon which to draw for songs for this show, and both performed songs from their early album releases, new/newer projects, and everything in between.
Both Beth and Judie are gifted songwriters, but obviously from the songs performed tonight, ones with very different approaches to how to do this. There is obviously a lot of respect between these two women for each other’s abilities as singer/songwriters, but perhaps what really binds them together is that both are survivors of some very difficult times in their lives, and their songs often reflect this. Each knows the power that music has and its ability to provide comfort, strength, and even hope to people, even in the darkest moments of their lives.
On the surface, many of Judie Tzuke’s songs tonight sounded bright, even a bit light, but listen to the lyrics on songs such as “Ladies Night” and there is a huge vulnerability, even insecurity there, but also an honesty. There is often a darkness to Judie’s songs that is less obvious than the way that Beth Nielsen Chapman sometimes writes, such as in “Sand and Water”. Both women can also contrast this darkness in their writing with songs of hope too, and Beth’s “Sand and Water” is one of these.
If they are lucky, any singer-songwriter gets one classic song (more if they are very lucky) to their credit, and for Judie Tzuke that was her 1979 hit “Stay With Me Till Dawn”. It is fair to say that many people in tonight’s audience remember this song from its original release, and they have obviously not forgotten it after all these years. Likewise, Beth Nielsen Chapman’s most recognisable song to many people in the UK would be “This Kiss”, co-written with Robin Lerner and Annie Roboff, and a huge hit for Faith Hill in 1998. Once again the audience response to this song was immediate.
Also in this show tonight there was room for solo song spots from Judie’s daughter Bailey on “Only Way to Let the Light In” and Ruth Trimble at piano for “Over Jordan”. Also on stage with Judie and Beth were two very impressive musicians, Gabriella Swallow (Cello) and Chaz Thorogood (acoustic guitar). Together, they added a lot to the musical depth of many of the songs performed tonight,
Review by Tom King © 2025
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
This is surprisingly the first time that these two women have toured together and their obvious friendship came about from a chance meeting at a songwriting workshop. Together they co-wrote “Safe” a song later recorded and released by Judie in 2018. This release was part of Judie’s “Woman To Woman” project which also featured Beverley Craven and Julia Fordham. Following on from the response to this song, Judie and Beth explored the possibilities of performing together. That song was, not surprisingly, the opening one for tonight’s concert.
The format for this show was an well-tested one with Beth Nielsen Chapman and Judie Tzuke each taking the spotlight for a song or two and, where appropriate, accompanying one another. Both artists have long careers upon which to draw for songs for this show, and both performed songs from their early album releases, new/newer projects, and everything in between.
Both Beth and Judie are gifted songwriters, but obviously from the songs performed tonight, ones with very different approaches to how to do this. There is obviously a lot of respect between these two women for each other’s abilities as singer/songwriters, but perhaps what really binds them together is that both are survivors of some very difficult times in their lives, and their songs often reflect this. Each knows the power that music has and its ability to provide comfort, strength, and even hope to people, even in the darkest moments of their lives.
On the surface, many of Judie Tzuke’s songs tonight sounded bright, even a bit light, but listen to the lyrics on songs such as “Ladies Night” and there is a huge vulnerability, even insecurity there, but also an honesty. There is often a darkness to Judie’s songs that is less obvious than the way that Beth Nielsen Chapman sometimes writes, such as in “Sand and Water”. Both women can also contrast this darkness in their writing with songs of hope too, and Beth’s “Sand and Water” is one of these.
If they are lucky, any singer-songwriter gets one classic song (more if they are very lucky) to their credit, and for Judie Tzuke that was her 1979 hit “Stay With Me Till Dawn”. It is fair to say that many people in tonight’s audience remember this song from its original release, and they have obviously not forgotten it after all these years. Likewise, Beth Nielsen Chapman’s most recognisable song to many people in the UK would be “This Kiss”, co-written with Robin Lerner and Annie Roboff, and a huge hit for Faith Hill in 1998. Once again the audience response to this song was immediate.
Also in this show tonight there was room for solo song spots from Judie’s daughter Bailey on “Only Way to Let the Light In” and Ruth Trimble at piano for “Over Jordan”. Also on stage with Judie and Beth were two very impressive musicians, Gabriella Swallow (Cello) and Chaz Thorogood (acoustic guitar). Together, they added a lot to the musical depth of many of the songs performed tonight,
Review by Tom King © 2025
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
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