Le Vent du Nord

Formed in August 2002, Le Vent du Nord , the Canadian folk music group from Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu in Quebec, have since performed over 1800 concerts across four continents. I was understandably disappointed to miss them performing in the Adnams Spiegeltent at last year's Norfolk & Norwich Festival, when the date clashed with Britten Sinfonia's concert at St Andrew's Hall. But never fear – the hard-working toe-tapping quintet were back in Norfolk this week, playing at Diss Corn Hall to a capacity audience, and stunning us with an eclectic repertoire and their virtuosic playing skills.

Playing both original compositions and traditional Québécois music which, in turn, is heavily influenced by Celtic music from Ireland and Brittany, the five members of Le Vent du Nord absolutely charmed the pants off the Diss audience who, at several points, were up on their feet, dancing amidst the chairs of the raised raked seating.

Led by founder members Nicolas Boulerice, playing piano and 'vielle à roue' (hurdy gurdy to you and me), and Olivier Demers on fiddle, guitar, mandolin and podorhythmie board (an amplified tap board played by wearing specially made wooden-heeled shoes), the band's five-piece line-up is augmented with Réjean Brunet (diatonic button accordion, bass guitar and jaw harp), André Brunet (fiddle and podorhythmie board), and most recent recruit, Dédé Gagné, who brings fresh blood to the ensemble with bazouki and guitar. Whilst Demers and Brunet mostly share lead vocals, there are several songs that include delicious barber-shop five part vocal harmonies.

Arriving on stage to the sampled sound recording of the notoriously bitter Québécois north wind that gives the band its name, Le Vent du Nord soon have the temperature rising as they launch into the evening. 'Dans L'eau de Vie de L'Arbre' is a song that praises the maple tree, now firmly established as the national symbol of Canada. André is quick to remind us that, despite the band's extensive overseas travelling, the band personally offset their aviation carbon debt by the planting of maple trees back home in Quebec. A moving song taken from the band's '20 Printemps' album is 'Ameriquois', one that remembers and honours the early Canadian settlers that left France to escape the dangers of the plague that was rife in Europe at the time. We are toasted with red wine by the band, before the first half of the set concludes with the the tragic tale of 'Ma Louise', who died on the night after her wedding.

The second half provided another stunning selection of dramatic ballads, a mesmerising vielle à roue solo from Boulerice, foot tapping dance numbers, duelling fiddles, and a scintillating podorhythmie board tap-off between Demer and Brunet.