With a near-as-doesn't matter full house for its opening concert, Celtic Connections 2008 has opened with the feel-good factor. Knowledge of such a large turn-out in advance may have worked against the idea of a spontaneous, big glorious session, as not too much seemed to be left to chance, and if the music often settled on to an enjoyable, folk-with-a-beat plateau, the peaks were notable.

Instances such as Karan Casey putting her heart and soul, and her very own style of decoration, into an unaccompanied ballad and the Aidan O'Rourke-Lauren MacColl-led set of fiddle tunes, where a real flavour of tradition shone through, gave the whole evening a lift.

There were contrasts, too, such as Luka Bloom rabble-rousing an ensemble that outnumbered a rugby team in a kind of Pogues-with-polish routine shortly before Karine Polwart introduced stark murder balladry with a fine Dowie Dens of Yarrow.

Possibly the closest we got to the kind of cross-genre get-togethers that happen by accident was the Irish quintet that opened the second half with a bluegrass guest in mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile. Thile is making his Celtic Connections debut and is bound to make a big impression. A short cameo by his Punch Brothers, who appear on Friday, was another highlight, as was the bodhran magic of John Joe Kelly.

Waterboys frontman Mike Scott's gusto and humorous wedding tale, complete with fight and jealous sibling taking nun's orders, and some bluegrass grit from Kane, Welch and Kaplin, who did apparently just drop in, were also among the moments to savour.