Wood Sessions 2 is an intimate affair

We stumble across an advert for The Wood Sessions by chance a few days before it's due to happen. A closer inspection reveals Danny George Wilson, of Danny and the Champions of the World is the headliner, and it's taking place half an hour's drive from us.

The Wood Sessions is put together by the organisers of The Truck and Wood Festivals. Although the full Wood Festival is taking a break for 2012, this is the second Wood Sessions of the year. The sessions - like the festival - take place at Braziers Park, a Grade 2 listed building in huge grounds in south Oxfordshire. A campsite with compost loos is also available (meaning a few beers for all and no drive home).

We arrive as the sun is setting, and a deep orange glow warms the rolling Oxfordshire hills. It's a beautiful setting and we park the van, make up our beds and head to The Barn as soon as we can - the venue for tonight's entertainment. Our two kids (aged 6 and 11), are distracted by the site's sculpture trail as we follow the musical sounds drifting up from the barn. Parts of the building are dated at 1688 ant its gothic style casts a haunting shadow.

We are greeted at the barn door, exchange our tickets for wristbands and head in. The rustic setting is completed with bales of straw for seats (even tiered at the back), and a bar with a couple of ciders, a barrel of ale and some soft drinks as well as a session of tequila slamming in full flow.

The atmosphere is intimate and as we're a little late, we've unfortunately missed the first act. There's a fire out the back with logs and benches to sit on and a barbecue on the go. I head back in as husband and wife duo Trevor Moss and Hannah-Lou get on stage. They squeeze together to share a mic. Their complementary and very similar sounding voices, and the way that their two guitars slot in to play in such a small space, make them seem close in every way. The angles of their heads as they sing into the mic make them appear as if they are singing to each other and the tender vocals make me wonder if they've forgotten that there is even an audience there. Trevor's voice has a slightly harder edge but it's almost like hearing two people share one voice.

I think my daughter sums their performance up perfectly. As she and her mum return with hot dogs, she doesn't want to stop to put teddy's pyjamas on so she doesn't "miss the lady's beautiful voice". Tracks 'A Proud Surrender' and 'For a Minute There' stand out for me. They make no apologies for playing new stuff and the set, the surrounding, and the really intimate atmosphere make it just perfect. I'm sad when it comes to an end with 'Sweet Mary Jane', but it really has been lovely. We go and meet them afterwards and buy a copy of the new EP. Check them out and their web site has some free downloads available. They're well worth a listen!

Due to a slightly restless 11 year old, we go for a bit of a wander and I miss a chunk of Dreaming Spires. Having seen them at Truck Festival this year, I know what I'm missing, and that somehow makes it more difficult. Their songs 'Brothers in Brooklyn' and 'Not Every Song from the 60's is a Classic' make the hairs on the back of the neck stand up. Brothers Joe and Robin Bennett are co-founders of the Truck and Wood Festivals; we have a lot to thank them for. Their music has a fresh indie rock feel about it. Tonight's performance feels a bit more laid back than when I've heard them previously, it's great to hear a local band producing music that I love.

We have a brief refreshment top-up and Danny George Wilson takes to the stage. I loved the first Danny and the Champions of the World album, the second grew on me (and is still growing), and I'm looking forward to getting the 3rd. Danny's voice has a beautiful rough gravelly quality but without the frailty that comes with the smokier sound of some of his peers. His audience is engaged from the start and he bursts straight into song with his arm pumping at the strings of his guitar. There are many highlights in Danny's set but the explanation that 'Henry The Van' is about the demise of a tour van that he and Trevor Moss shared puts the song into context and adds a lot more emotion to it. Danny is joined on stage by his Champions. Some have already appeared on stage as part of other acts, and some of the Champions are not there. The touring band seems to be made up of whoever is available, and it's this traveller spirit that keeps it fresh and keeps the musical journey moving.

I'm delighted to hear 'These Days' and my favourite of the evening and of his repertoire is 'I Still Believe'. Danny's vocal range, personality and guitar ability make it a winner. His seamless Segway's into 'Dancing in The Dark' by The Boss and stepping off the stage, into the crowd to get everyone singing along round the evening off perfectly. As we head out to sit by the fire after the music has stopped, our daughter who had fallen asleep and is wrapped in a blanket wakes up so we stop a bit longer and chat to some lovely people. We've all had a perfect evening and we reflect. We'd love to see what Wood Festival is like here!

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