A STRING folk quartet with links to Tynedale are celebrating 10 years together with a national tour and new album.

Methera, featuring fiddle-player Emma Reid who grew up in Riding Mill, will be returning to the village for a special concert on Monday night.

Emma was inspired by the Tyne Valley’s vibrant folk scene and discovered her passion for the genre thanks to Folkworks at the Sage Gateshead and David Oliver’s ceilidh band the Hedgehog’s Skin.

The band, which also features Lucy Deakin (cello), John Dipper (fiddles) and Miranda Rutter (viola), have previously played in Riding Mill, Corbridge, Hexham, Allendale and Whitfield, and are delighted to be back heading back to the district again.

Emma explained: “Miranda brought us together out of a longing to explore the sound palette of the string quartet through the medium of the traditional music we were all passionate about.

“In the first years we would spend days on end playing around with one tune, experimenting with the sound and format a folk string quartet could take.”

The band released albums in 2007 and 2009 and are embarking on a tour, which kicks off in Alnwick today, to mark the release of their third compilation Vortex.

The band, who are known nationally through their tours and BBC Radio 3 broadcasts, have clocked up a decade together, despite Emma being based in Sweden, John in Quebec and Miranda on a narrowboat.

Emma joked: “Ten years, eight babies and innumerable house-moves and so many lovely, memorable gigs down the line we have a tighter schedule, which has resulted in condensed, inspired rehearsals with slightly less cake!”

More information and tickets are available on (01434) 682678.