Pop Music : Higbie Gives Brightness to ‘Solstice’

Singer-instrumentalist Barbara Higbie brought a much-needed jolt of bright sunlight to Friday’s “Winter Solstice” concert at UCLA’s Royce Hall. The veteran of the New Age group Montreux generated energy and enthusiasm whenever she was on stage--singing, playing piano and synthesizer, and knocking out two spirited tunes on violin.

Higbie’s presence changed both the character and the quality of a program that two years ago was dominated by a dark and chilly ambience. This time, Higbie’s vitality served as a perfect counterbalance to the moody sounds of the Irish-styled group Nightnoise and the cool percussiveness of Philip Aaberg’s piano playing.

In their better moments--usually during compositions by pianist Triona Ni Dhomhnaill--Nightnoise generated a passionate intensity in the plangent Irish lilt of their music. Flutist Brian Dunning revealed touches of a powerful improvisational skill, and violinist Billy Oskay, the group’s only American member, played with a sweetly lyrical tone.

It was more difficult to respond to Aaberg. Ranging wildly from barrelhouse boogie to quasi-Copland, his pieces rattled with machine-gun precision. But, too often, there seemed to be a paucity of intermediary emotions beneath all the technical sound and fury.