SATURDAY’S Folk On The Tyne event at the Sage provided the opportunity to experience three of the region’s finest folk acts.

Billingham’s Wilson Family, began the evening with a series of coal themed songs that included ‘Sea Coal’ and ‘Close The Coalhouse Door’. Mike, Steve, Chris and Tom Wilson’s half hour passed in a blur of powerful trademark harmonies and craic, and ‘Big Steamers’, memorably performed by the brothers without microphones at Sting’s Sage concerts a few years ago, is always a treat to hear.

The Young ‘uns opened with the ethereal ‘Altar’ but the Stockton trio of Sean Cooney, David Eagle and Michael Hughes quickly raised the bar further with ‘These Hands’ - the tale of Sybil Phoenix’s extraordinary life - ‘Ghafoor’s Bus’ and ‘Be The Man’. Such stories of real lives are the very essence of folk music and it’s easy to see why the Young ‘uns have been reaping best album and best group accolades in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

The Unthanks delivered a sublime performance that included a brace of songs from the Maxine Peake play ‘The Last Testament of Lilian Bilocca’, Molly Drake’s ‘What Can A Song Do For You’, and the ode to the famous racing pigeon ‘The King Of Rome’.

Three songs from their acclaimed 2015 ‘Mount The Air’ album, ‘Madam’, ‘Flutter’ and the title track were highlights, the string quartet and trumpet adding an extra layer of emotion to the wonder of Becky and Rachel Unthanks’ vocals and Adrian McNally’s evocative piano.

It was an evening to make any north-easterner proud.

Dave Lawrence