IT'S a chilly, wet Thursday night and in the cosy sanctuary of an old-fashioned village pub on the edge of Dartmoor, an intimate circle of musicians are tuning up their instruments. In their midst a young lady smiles and chats as she unpacks her violin, shuffling in her chair to get comfy.

As the impromptu band of fellow fiddlers, singers, accordionists, mandolin masters, guitarists and whistlers strike up a mournful, lilting country ballad, she tilts her head with interest, registering the tune, the words, the ambience, to add to her magpie-like store of the very best of traditional folk music; then she picks up her bow and joins in.

Jackie Oates thrives on the old songs, the ones that tell tales of millers and farmers and butchers and grinders, of loves lost and found and harvests gathered in. Her highly acclaimed third album Hyperboreans is full of them, delivered in her pretty, dancing, bell-clear voice. She sprinkles a modern fairydust on their gritty honesty and melodic delicacy, opening them up to fresh ears. In common with Dartmoor hero Seth Lakeman, Jackie's live shows and recorded works are frontrunners in demolishing longstanding genre barriers.

The Radio 2 Folk award-winning singer and instrumentalist, and former member of buzz band The Unthanks, who is signed to the One Little Indian label, may be turning heads in the big city, but it's here in the heart of rural Westcountry community music-making that she feels most at home. It is, after all, where her talents have been nurtured and honed in the age-old way through the oral tradition.

She's much in demand as both performer and violin teacher, with an itinerary that's packed to overflowing, but in the run-up to two major gigs this weekend – one tonight in London and the other a headline show at Dartington Hall tomorrow – she still made time for the pub session, topping up her inspiration and confidence, blending seamlessly with the gathered throng.

Since leaving home in Staffordshire at the tender age of 18 to study English at Exeter University, Jackie, now 26, has immersed herself in the folk clubs and regular sessions of Devon and Cornwall.

She grew up in a musical household and had classical violin lessons from an early age. Her father played melodeon and guitar and co-ran a folk jam session every week. They had a large, eclectic vinyl collection and both she and her brother – fellow rising folk star Jim Moray – caught the bug.

"When I arrived in Exeter, I met some fellow students who took me along with them to various folk nights. I was completely transfixed by the music and the environment and atmosphere," she says. "It's a social thing first and foremost and it's an ageless genre. I've made some really good friends from regularly going to these nights – some of whom are older than my parents – and as well as a time to make music and learn, it's a great opportunity to see them too."

Initially just playing her fiddle, it took Jackie some time to conquer her nerves and find her singing voice.

"I always sang in my head and at home, but I was incredibly shy. But once I discovered these songs I was determined to sing them. It's taken me years to build up my confidence" she confesses. "It's very exposing – much more so than playing an instrument."

Researching songs and stories is Jackie's passion. At university, having rejected the idea of becoming a professional classical violinist, she took the chance to study Thomas Hardy and other novelists who used the oral tradition in their writing, looking in depth at ballads for her final dissertation.

"I travelled all over, visiting every folklore library in the country. It's informed my understanding and background knowledge about the old songs and where they come from."

Tonight Jackie joins country pop pioneers Louis Eliot and the Embers and Port Isaac sea shanty choir Fisherman's Friends at the ICA in London for a St Piran's Day showcase of Cornish music, art and poetry. For the occasion she has relished delving deeper into the songs of Cornwall – particularly those by Sabine Baring Gould – noting how they differ from the English.

Tomorrow's show in the beautiful and dramatic stone-built hall at Dartington is her first with her new band – James Budden on double bass and Mike Cosgrave on piano and accordion and guitarist Tristan Seume.

Later this month they are off to the USA for a one-off date in New York and to take part in the English folk showcase Looking For A New England at the prestigious SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas, ahead of a summer full of festival appearances.

But you can rest assured Jackie will be back at that Dartmoor pub session before the year is out.

JACKIE BUTLER

Jackie Oates plays at Dartington Hall tomorrow. Tickets are £10 (£9 concessions, £5 students). Box office: 01803 847070.