Spiro brought their original blend of classical influences and traditional English folk to Shoreham and made a good few friends.

The four-piece line-up of mandolin, violin, guitar and accordion carried a faint nautical hint, and so it was that Marineville (the headquarters in Stingray) launched the evening.

Spiro's compositions are instrumental only and it is for the listener to pick out and follow the various threads as they weave and shift, such as they might in a horn pipe.

The first set mainly featured pieces from the new album, Welcome Joy And Welcome Sorrow, only their fourth in 22 years.

The long titles - One Train May Hide Another, inspired by a French sign on a North African railway line - required some explanation and provided the chatty links.

All the players played all of the time, and with considerable gusto. Jane Harbour, the sole female, swayed with her violin, while Alex Vann rocked out on his mandolin. Although the pieces developed and climaxed there was no evident improvisation, all was tight and rehearsed.

On the same night that the English Folk Awards were being held, Spiro's intense and hugely enjoyable performance emphasised the current healthy vitality of English folk music.

Four stars