Duo’s Love all you need

FOR a band used to playing nursing homes, day care centres and hospitals, the Fringe was always going to be a challenge.But local duo Juliet Nisbet and Bruce Birrell – collectively known as Spirit of Love – went down an absolute storm at this year’s Festival.

The pair, whose first CD The Journey’s Over saw them make it big in America’s Bible Belt area, were a hit during their just-ended Fringe run, where they played to packed audiences and received rave reviews.

“We played at the Cabaret Lounge at the Calton Hotel all last week, and had a great response,” says Birrell, 64, from Dalkeith. “Our repertoire includes Scottish, folk, country and spiritual – so there was something to suit all tastes.”

Nisbet, 50, from Port Seaton, agrees that it was positive experience. She said: “We’ve had lovely comments, and one lady even told us it was the best show she’s ever been to and that she was entertained from start to finish.”

The pair enjoyed their Fringe experience so much that they plan to do it all again next year – albeit with a very different show.

“We are known for playing funeral songs, and what we wanted to do this year was perform our own show called Music Die To Die, but the company producing the show thought that would be too melancholic for a lunchtime audience,” says Birrell.

“We went with what the company said in the end, but I think next year we’ll do our own thing.”