THE sound of traditional Quebec music is a striking one and few play it with as much warmth and vigour as De Temps Antan – a trio of virtuosi musicians who, having explored the time-honoured melodies of their home province for more than a decade, are currently tearing it up on a UK-wide tour.

It’s a music that feels contemporary yet speaks to familiar rhythms of the past, with a mix of fiddle, accordion, harmonica, guitar, bouzouki and many other instruments adding to the musical blend.

Band members Éric Beaudry, André Brunet and Pierre-Luc Dupuis play traditional folk tunes that hark from the shared heritage of Quebec and Louisiana with a boundless energy that invariably gets audiences up out of their seats. Percussion is provided by their own feet, stomping to the kind of rhythm found in African and other world music genres.

Whether performing together or as solo musicians, all three band members are renowned in their home province, and internationally, for the quality of their playing. André Brunet, a former winner of the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Competition – the first Quebecois to win the prestigious award – even participated in the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Audience participation is a big thing with De Temps Antan, so expect plenty of banter, all in a delicious Quebecois accent. And although the songs are in French, it’s easy enough to pick up on what the band are singing and the underlying melodies.

De Temps Antan play at the Eastgate Theatre, Peebles on Saturday, September 10.

Tickets £16. Available from Box Office 01721 725777, or online www.eastgatearts.com