James Prescott enjoys a lovely day of quirky folk beside the Thames

MOST people would agree that summer is over now, maybe not on the calendar but look out the window there are almost certainly clouds in sight.

Back in May when the Irregular Folk Summer Sessions made the pilgrimage from The Cellar out to the enchanting Bedouin tent encamped at The Perch, Binsey, the weather was still cold; thick coats to go out in the evening cold.

Since then there has been Colombian harp music, Zulu folk, poetry and every and any permutation of the term ‘irregular folk' you can imagine performed under the cloth roof. Then finally, on one sunny day earlier this month, the tent was packed to the beautifully embroidered rafters for an all-day closing extravaganza.

Starting at Midday, the August 3 all-dayer featured a line-up populated with bands, solo acts, an eight-piece collective and one barman with a ukulele - conveniently a member of The Oh So Many - filling in for a sadly absent Salvation Bill.

The first round of acts were a perfect acoustic background to a pint of cider and conversations but perhaps didn’t quite punch through enough to grab everyone away from catching up. However, as the number of band members and the tempos picked up it really began to feel like a party; a celebration of what folk music can mean in 2013.

Duchess and Bright Works (née Nairobi) brought infectious afro-beat rhythms and dancing, where as French For Rabbits and Fraeda (née Jess & Ness) were all about the intensity drawn from delicate arrangements and hugely compelling vocals.

Orchestral indie behemoth Sea Stacks created a wash of beauty and intricacy that could have come from Arcade Fire or The Cinematic Orchestra; strings, samples and numerous vocalists made the audience feel very much part of the performance, not inclusive but involving.

Taking that kind of aesthetic with a more minimal approach is exactly in Oxford favourites Message To Bears wheelhouse. After a 10-month break for house moving and the like, their return was most welcome and almost certainly the highlight of the day. Finger picked, layered acoustic guitars, sharp minimal live and sampled percussion and soaring violin all combined magically.

Beth Porter and her two-person string section, brought the intensity down in a perfect rounding off of the day. With cello and ukulele as the prominent instruments, here folk ballads tell tales and spin yarns in words and in melody. She is certainly a star waiting to rise.

Oxford has a scene that often has gigs in odd venues: churches, galleries and coffee shops. But a 200-plus capacity Bedouin-style tent, packed with soft furnishings and an ale bar in the glorious surroundings of The Perch might just top the lot. The team behind Irregular Folk have accomplished quite a feat this summer, not only getting the jaded gig-going audience to leave the confines of the city centre, but curating some very special gigs, that we can only hope will carry on for years to come.