Saturday
It was back to youth and rising singer-singwriter, guitarist, Elliot Morris, another up and comer given the opportunity to showcase his set, though on this occasion you would have to wait until the Sunday to take him up on it.
He's just released his second EP, "True North", following up on last year's "Shadows And Whispers" and sounds like he's yet another good discovery. He's more guitar orientated than the preceding singer-songwriters with more riff and hook orientated material. Whilst I know he's going to be missing out to Lindi Ortega tomorrow, he is an artist I will be checking out in more detail and can only recommend you do the same.
The Session is starting to run tight to its two and a half hour time slot, which means that there is only going to be time for one song from Kirsty Bromley. Kirsty is the second vocal only performance of the session and it carries a delightful northern timbre which helps to give the song a regional distinction without the accent being so heavy as to detract from the pronunciation.
It's always difficult to judge from a single song, but Kirsty Bromley sounds like another artist worth keeping an ear out for. She's already got a good few gigs under her belt, both in her own name and as support and has released her debut ep and performed on a few others another relative youngster ensuring the acoustic spectrum remains a live wire.
I've already seen the penultimate act, John Doyle today, when he accompanied Michael McGoldrick at the whistle workshop first thing. He's got time to move to centre stage here and deliver a song that starts to bring the sound back in the direction of the wider Celtic sound, squaring the circle that started being drawn over two hours ago.
I say nearly two hours ago, because there's one more band to come and inevitably, it's a trio, the Yves Lambert Trio. Unlike most of the performers who still have their sets to come, Yves is joining the Session after his has finished, he was one of the acts on Stage 1 whilst the session has been running over here on Stage 2.
Whilst the sound crew are setting Yves Lambert Trio up, Brian McNeill takes the opportunity to give the audience a chance to give their singing voices a go with a rousing sing-a-long version of one of his signature songs, "Join The Union"
Yves Lambert was a founding member of the Quebecois group La Bottine Souriante, so it's no surprise to encounter a sound that merges Celtic Folk music, with the more French influenced sound of Cajun and Zydeco, though lacking in the steel vests.
Whilst the band are wowing the audience with their first set of tunes, Brian and Jacqueline are busy rounding up stray musicians to gather them together to join the Yves Lambert Trio on stage for the mass band ending and final bow.
I'm asked if I'd like to go on stage and photograph it from there, on stage at the Fiftieth Cambridge Folk Festival? I manage to avoid blurting out a question about which faith the pope follows and head out of the pit for the first time in two and a half hours and head round the back of the stage.
It's a short walk up the ramp to join a host of musicians on stage, tucking myself away at the side as the massed ranks join in to complete the finale tune. A clear view of the audience reveals a packed sea of smiles. For the musicians there's bows to be taken not just for themselves, but for those that have already had to leave. The hard working sound crew are thanked and applauded for their effort, reference is made to seeing everyone again next year. There's one final bow and the Brian McNeill Session has come to an end for one more year.
Not counting the massed bands, that's fourteen acts we've been lucky enough to see and hear and it's still only just past half two. I don't know about anyone else but I need something cold and wet before lifting a camera again and then remember it's time to get the team shots done. I still make it back in time for O'Hooley & Tidow.
It's not long until I'm back at Stage 2 to see one of my favourite duos, O'Hooley & Tidow. I've known Belinda for more years than either of us probably care to remember and she has a wonderfully personality that she brings into her music and in Heidi she has found the perfect partner, both emotionally and musically, to act as both foil and sounding board and ensure that they produce some of the most distinctive music on the scene at the moment.
Earlier this year they produced album number three, "The Hum" which has only cemented their reputation as songwriters and performers. It forms the basis of their set, but not to the exclusion of previous albums. Storytelling to music is where the duo have forged their reputation, that and the witty and mischievous banter between songs. Whilst some of their songs can be quite dark, this is the folk world after all, I have never left an O'Hooley & Tidow gig feeling anything other than uplifted and today is no exception, the duo are in their element, having fun and taking the audience with them.
It's getting to the mad part of the afternoon, particularly if you've moved into wanting to see a little of a lot, rather than a lot of a little. The rest of the afternoon and early evening are destined to add a lot to the step count.