'Beautiful festival'

From the moment the Old Swan Band kicked off proceedings at the Friday night ceilidh, through to haunting traditional chants from Iceland which drew the event to a close on the Sunday, the third Oxford Folk Festival was nothing short of a triumph.

If there were any doubts that the weekend event could establish itself, both in Oxford and on the burgeoning folk festival circuit, then surely 2006 has dispelled them.

Fans were drawn from far and wide within the British Isles, but more importantly, the people of the city were drawn to it, whether at the free events at the new venue of the Castle site, on the street, or at the growing number of excellent fringe events.

Of course, the festival could not have become reality without a thriving local folk scene. Many of those fine acts were on view at the main venue, the Town Hall, such as the enchanting harmonies of Sue Brown and Lorraine Ewing, the popular singer-songwriter John Thompson, and Oxford's very own Magpie Lane, who were on excellent form and who no doubt won over many new admirers.

The icing on the cake, and whose career seems to be running in parallel to the festival, is the astonishing Bellowhead. Led by the talents of John Spiers and Jon Boden, who cut their teeth on the city's folk scene, the 11-piece band have swept all before them in the last three years, headlining at the major festivals and winning awards along the way.

Headlining here too, they seemed to have picked up on the real buzz at the event and launched into party mood from the off. With four-piece brass and three-piece string sections, there were none of the usual slow ballads no Courtin' Too Slow or Innocent When You Dream just the songs guaranteed to get everyone up and dancing and they certainly did that Copshawholme Fair, Rambling Sailor, Prickle-eye Bush and Rochdale Coconut Dance, all favourites with their growing army of fans.

Their exuberance just sweeps you along, and the mix of styles thrown into the musical melting pot reggae, dance beats, jazz, even echoes of the likes of Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart just takes your breath away. And it's great fun too, with I'm sure a nod to the inspired antics of Spike Jones and his City Slickers. There's just no stopping Bellowhead.

Earlier on the Saturday, Waterson:Carthy had graced the main stage with their masterclass in the best of the English tradition. With Martin Carthy's guitar as a fulcrum, Norma Waterstone gestured a welcome, almost as if we were being invited into their living room, to hear her sing in that inimitable style of hers lilting songs such as Bay of Biscay and When I First Came to Caledonia. The multi-talented Eliza Carthy was suffering a sore throat but that didn't prevent her singing Goodbye Fare Thee Well with gusto and even Tim Van Eyken, one in a line of top-rate melodeon players with the band, chipped in with Seventeen Come Sunday.

Chris Wood has a similar guitar style to Martin Carthy and he was at the centre of one of the festival hits, On English Ground. He and his fellow musicians provided the accompaniment to no fewer than 14 dancers who gave their balletic interpretation, using Morris steps, to traditional songs and tunes. It had poignant echoes of the past, of Cecil Sharp's visit to Headington Morris a century or more ago, while, at the same time, pointing to new ventures.

A true great, Andy Irvine, headlined on Sunday to remind everyone not only of the power of his singing one of the most recognisable voices in folk but of his mastery of the guitar and bouzouki. Woody Guthrie remains his inspiration, and he duly obliged with a couple of his classics, including the Ballad of Tom Joad, and turned to the bouzouki to recall his legendary days with Planxty with what is still the best version ever of The Blacksmith.

He began his set with a tribute to the artist who had preceded him, Steve Ashley, who was joined by friends Chris Leslie, of Fairport Convention, and Al Fenn. Steve, well known for his album Stroll On, is still writing top-class songs and a selection, including Say Goodbye and Over There in Paradise, from his album Everyday Lives, won a well deserved ovation. Another songwriter in a rare appearance was Bill Caddick, who showed his craft in the tear-jerking Cloud Factory, nominated for best original song in the BBC Folk Awards.

Flook showed why they were voted top live act in this year's BBC Folk Awards, while newcomers Rachel Unthank and the Winterset were a hit with many, though I must admit that I'm still to be won over. Maybe next year.

Any decent festival has an international flavour, and leading this year's representation were the wonderful Black Umfolosi from Zimbabwe. Familiar to crowds at the Towersey Festival, their close harmony singing and energetic dance routines proved a great success and they responded in kind by paying their own tribute "beautiful festival, beautiful audience" which just about sums it up really.