<a href="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/joan-baez2mar18.jpg"><img class="alignleft wp-image-4875" src="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/joan-baez2mar18-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="193" height="257" /></a>I bought the tickets for Joan Baez on her farewell tour in early November in the hope I would have a "friend" who would go with me and although I'm fortunate to "be" with Mary she already had an event she was attending with her son and daughter. Instead of going with Mary I arranged to go with an old friend who happens to live in York and I was going to stay overnight with him. On the morning of the show I got a text to say he wasn't well and couldn't make it. I eventually found a friend from the U3A who had nothing planned and was prepared for a night out in York and the late journey back (sadly many people over 65 are not prepared to go out after dark).

<a href="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/joan-baez1mar18.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-4874" src="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/joan-baez1mar18-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a>York Barbican is a lovely venue. It's relatively small and has well raked seats so wherever you sit you get a good view of the stage. My tickets were for row C and towards the centre of the auditorium so it was almost possible to have eye contact.

Joan came on stage at 7.30 pm and played through until after 9 pm without a break. At 77 she's a legend in the music business and still looks and sounds very good. Someone in the audience shouted "You look great Joan" and she replied "I have to work at it". She didn't appear to have to work at her singing - it was natural, relaxed and although she has dropped an octave to save her voice she still has the range that makes her sound so special. It was a memorable night out and I was home before midnight.