Saturday
One trio is superseded by another one as Talisk take to the stage. Hitting in with dynamic traditional Scottish folk music, they soon have the crowd clapping and stomping. Brian steps on stage to further whip up the atmosphere with a good haranguing of the crowd. The addition of Rura's bodhran player brings them up to a quartet and the additional percussion continues driving the atmosphere.
The Celtic wave continues as the rest of Rura join the bodhran player for their take on "Allegory", a song they learnt from the Kris Drever album, "Mark The Hard Earth". It's a song performed with plenty of bite.
Matt Tighe is one of the Cambridge Folk Festival's success stories. As a young teenager he first started attending the youth workshops at The Hub, with a thirst for knowledge and a talent ready to be nurtured. Last night he guested with Brian McNeill during his annual Club Tent performance, today Matt stands on Stage Two as a solo performer on the verge of recording his debut album, quite some journey and still not out of his teens.
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Like all of the top players, Matt Tighe plays with a natural fluidity that makes what he's doing look effortless. His style looks almost casual, but looking at the audience you realise it's anything but, mesmeric may be a better term as you realise that he owns the stage.
He passes the stage to Goitse, a band that has really got fans of Irish music talking and trying to decide where this combo fits in the all-time pecking order, despite their relative youth. The jury may well be out on the long term, but in the short term here and now, over a couple of songs, I would say that they are elbowing and fiddling their way into the top division.
Now, as Monty Python once said, for something completely different, former Aussie busker. Kim Churchill, anarchist musical wild child making out there anti-authoritarian punk folk. With a beat up guitar, a gob-iron holder heavily wrapped in parcel tape, percussion played barefoot and flowing blonde locks to through around, he cuts quite the image, fortunately he's also happy to back that image with the quality of his playing.
Churchill is a man that looks at the big world picture and doesn't like what he sees, though, at least with the selection of songs he delivers in his short set, he seems to be someone that is able to reflect on the small acts of kindness, as much as on the injustice that is dished out onto the many by the few.
Brian McNeill continues that thought process when he comes on to do a vocal only rendition of his signature song, "Join A Union" whilst the stage is being reset for the next act, Stray Birds.
It's not that the Stray Birds are a particularly big band, more that they perform, bluegrass style around a single microphone, which needs to be set up and the band have only just arrived having made the rush across the site from Stage One.
Just about long enough for Brian to finish before Stray Birds are ready to kick off. Using the dynamic microphone means the band are pretty much mixing as they move in and away from the mic as required. It gives a real subtly to the strings, but really comes into its own on the lush three part harmonies that are a trademark part of their sound. I'm really looking forward to catching their full set on the same stage tomorrow, but as an appetiser this comes with a Michelin Star.
There's still time for one more, Canadian trio De Temps Antan, one of the very finest of the Quebecois bands to grace the festival over the years. Brian introduces them as the band that he would most like to be a part of, high praise indeed.
It's easy to see and hear why, the band are engaging, language just a barrier to crash straight through, a cheerful smile and a clap along beat and you pretty soon have a crowd on your side. Brian can't resist the temptation, dons a bazouki and joins them. It's De Temps Antan's job to build the crowd to the finale and they are doing it with some aplomb.
Brian gives the signal that literally means the beginning of the end as a host of the musicians that have already played return to the stage for the traditional mass ranked finish. It's a very packed stage that delivers the last farewell, it's been one that will really stick in my mind. There seemed to be a lot more guesting again this year, unique combinations that you are never going to see elsewhere.
Two and a half hours have flown by. I've taken way too many photographs, again, but there is so much that needs to be captured. A big thanks to Brian and the soundstage team for making this part of the festival what it is. See you all again next year.