INNERLEITHEN was alive with the sound of music at the weekend, as the Borders’ biggest music festival got into full swing.

The 14th Innerleithen Music Festival certainly kept up its reputation for offering both top-class world-renowned acts as well as brilliant local talent.

At the Memorial Hall the focus was on the world of Celtic music with big names travelling from far and wide.

While the Vale Club was packed all weekend for the Live & Local mini-festival, offering talented locals, young and old, the chance to get up on stage and perform.

Chairman of the organising committee Pam Fraser said: “The artists we had this year nearly made us change our name to the Innerleithen International Music Festival as they hailed from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway and Ireland as well as the UK.”

Mànran, one of the best-loved Scottish bands on the scene today, headlined on Friday’s opening night. And with their powerful combination of Gaelic/English songs underpinned by driving accordion, fiddle, flute and a backline of drum and bass, they were the perfect choice to kick start the weekend.

Saturday welcomed the Barra MacNeils, a group of siblings who are widely regarded as one of the greatest live concert acts in the Celtic world. Hailing from Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, the family group is deeply rooted in Celtic music, culture, dance, language and history. 

Their numerous critically acclaimed recordings have included their own original songs as well as tried and true standards, both instrumental and vocal.

With on-point sibling harmonies, top drawer instrumental prowess on a wide variety of acoustic, stringed, percussion and wind instruments blended with dancing, storytelling, Gaelic songs and a journey through an ancient culture; it was family entertainment at its highest level.

Scottish-Norwegian four-piece Boreas also wowed audiences on Saturday as they demonstrated a talent for experimenting with forms of traditional music creating a unique expression based on Norwegian and Scottish folk music. Boreas seek to emphasise old traditions and shared musical aspects, while exploring the spaces between their different yet connected cultures.

And the Kaela Rowan Band performed to a packed Memorial Hall on Sunday before Emily Smith brought the weekend to a close with the festival’s farewell concert.

Pam added: “We feel we’ve made a really good job this year of catering for all tastes. Yes, the roots are in folk music but the interpretation of that is just so wide.

“Mànran had the hall bouncing on the Friday and we thought it couldn’t be topped – but the Canadian Barra MacNeils on Saturday added in dancing to rapturous applause, so that was another great concert which also featured the beautiful voice and quirky lyrics of Rachel Sermanni holding her audience spellbound.

“The organisers also wanted to give a special mention to young guitarist Cameron Boak from Peebles. He braved Saturday’s torrential rain to be the sole entrant for the outdoor busking competition that took place in torrential rain on Saturday, and was deservedly declared the winner.”