Sometimes it’s much easier to write a bad review than it is to write a good one. Thankfully, this was not at all the case with the Portland Folk Club: it was next-to impossible not to be charmed by this intimate night of songs and stories, and the organisers’ earnest desire to bring together talented musicians in Cambridge.

I should start by revealing my prejudices: I love folk music, and I also have a distinct weakness for grass-roots music events such as this one. This weekly assortment of local folkies has only been running for a few weeks, but the crowd (and performers) are already a hardened community, with an array of light-hearted hecklers and proud parents sitting in the back-room venue at the Portland Arms.

The first act I heard as I strolled into the room was a trio of singers from acapella group The Chelas, who sing traditional Georgian folk songs, in Georgian. The three dedicated vocalists took an evident pride in their art and transmitted their weird and wonderful harmonies to the listeners joyfully.

Next on stage was prolific musician Pat Crilly. After the show, Pat admitted, “I hadn’t written a single song until I was fifty, but now I can’t stop writing them”. He impressed the small audience at the Portland with his experienced storytelling, whilst his hard-hitting melodies were reminiscent of protest music of the ‘60s and ‘70s.

The act which stole the stage was undoubtedly, however, The Willows – support act for headliners Carl and Leon Hodgson. The Willows, fronted by the beautiful and husky-voiced Jade Rhiannon, played a small selection of both tradition and modern folk songs with astounding musical agility. Their set was, they stated, “about being brave and listening to yourself”, and featured Jade Rhiannon’s dad singing along with admirable gusto behind me (in an unofficial capacity, of course).

Although usually a five-piece, two members were missing at the Portland Arms, but the remaining trio created an atmospheric sound with the masterful finger-picking of Ben Savage and violin parts provided by Cliff Ward. The Willows’ performance ranged from traditional Irish folk music to the plucky but precisely-aimed ‘Worker’s War’, leaving me in no doubt that they are a group to watch out for over the coming months.

Carl and Leon Hodgson, the headliners, were evidently crowd-pleasers, singing innovative new arrangements of traditional English folk songs. The enthusiastic fan-base in the room sparked several sing-alongs, and both men were talented instrumentalists, although I felt that the vocals could have been stronger.

Carl and Leon were folk experts, informing the crowd about their musical heritage in the gaps between each song, and their set continued a running motif throughout the night, of people with a pure, simple passion for the music that they play.

Cambridge University needs a little simplicity in its life, and in the vein of such simplicity, here is a short, simple piece of information for all readers: this night is amazing. Go along.