A night of folk and roots music

By contributor, Darren Betts

The organisers of the Sark Folk Festival began the march to the event's inaugural weekend in July 2010 with the Folkal Point folk night at the Fermain Tavern on 5 December 2009.

The John Wesley Stone brought their own brand of Americana to the night

The extraordinary and passionate Colette Eseteves started the evening in style.

She is an accomplished lady, who has been within the music scene for more than 35 years, and told humorous tales of her adventures on the Algarve River.

Her folksy blues style clearly represented her experiences and she sang in a way that drew the minds eye into the adventure.

Then the music swung from the lower stage to the upper bar where the John Wesley Stone were set to let rip with their fun hillbilly-bash style.

This band let the crowd join in with their incredibly catchy style of music and infectious choruses that once instilled are never forgotten.

Darren Betts Darren DJs under the name Karmaloji He is a member of the Vale Earth Fair collective Darren lives and works in Sark

It was not only their music but also their clothing which fitted the style and Lynchburg even improvised the bass drum with a suitcase that carried the band's equipment.

Lively, energetic and fun all round - it was a set that instilled the Devil back in me for sure!

Trying to describe Nessi G, who was up next, is like explaining the flavour of a new taste - very unique and if music had wings, she would be the feathers.

She covered a range of artists in a unique way that made them sound original and graced us with her own material captivating the crowd and sending shivers down my spine, which not many artists can achieve.

Next was The Barley Dogs whose traditional Celtic folk energy was felt by all.

The Barley Dogs were joined on stage by other musicians to end the night

Their music seemed to enchant as everybody was having a great time, dancing, singing & laughing uncontrollably.

The democracy of folk then crept in to finish the evening with more than 10 people (including myself) on stage joining in with the fun.

It was a little crowded up there but has given them food for thought for what can happen at the festival itself in Sark 2010.