FOLK rock pioneers Steeleye Span return to Wimborne’s Tivoli Theatre on Wednesday, February 25 with a new live show and project as Maddy Prior – the voice of the band for 38 years – leads a line-up featuring faces old and new.

With a career that has taken in six decades, Steeleye Span is not just a legendary name in British music but also a link to the classic days of rock and folk music.

Contemporaries of the likes of Led Zeppelin and Fairport Convention, they have gone on to change the face of folk music, taking it from small clubs and festivals into the world of chart topping albums and international tours.

For any artist to discover new inspiration after many years is a huge challenge, yet this is just what Steeleye Span achieved with Wintersmith, the 22nd studio album in a remarkable career.

Born from their friendship with author Terry Pratchett, their musical interpretation of his novel provided them with a gateway to a magical world, allowing the band to explore familiar themes in the company of a new set of characters – all of whom allow Steeleye to delve into the darker side of their music.

Received warmly by both critics and audience – Wintersmith saw Steeleye return to the UK album charts – the resulting concert tour was a celebration of both the past and the present.

With violinist Peter Knight making his farewell, these live shows marked a major chapter in the band’s history.

On the 2015 UK tour, many fans old and new will get to see new violinist Jessie May Smart. Jessie is a young, vibrant talent who trained with Richard Ireland at Trinity College of Music before going onto The University of Nottingham and who’s CV includes working on The X Factor and with Katie Melua.

Another relatively new Steeleye Span member is composer, singer-songwriter and Steeleye lead guitarist Julian Littman.

Julian has played and performed with artists from Gerry Rafferty, Charlie Dore and Dexy’s Midnight Runners to Sister Sledge.