The year 1970 would prove to be a vintage year for music and the start of an era that would change the world.

But for Steeleye Span – formed the year before - it would mark a major milestone.

The band released their debut album Hark The Village Wait, a record that would not only launch one of the most enduring stories in the folk world and beyond but also come to influence further generations of artists.

Five decades on and the band, led as ever by the iconic vocals of Maddy Prior and with a seven piece line-up featuring some of the most skilled musicians on the UK folk scene, their 50th anniversary tour will be a celebration of the key tracks from that famous album as well as favourites and gems from their long and famous career.

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And they will be bringing that tour to the Wycombe Swan in October this year, in a rescheduled date from 2020.

Steeleye Span formed in 1969 with the vision of playing folk music in a contemporary, electric band format and they became one of the most influential names in British roots music.

Pioneers of folk-rock, Steeleye Span changed the face of folk music forever, taking it out of small clubs and into the world of gold discs and international tours.

Members have come and gone over the years, but Steeleye has always remained at the forefront of the genre they helped to define, and, decades later the band has become an institution in British music.

Taking their name from the song Horkstow Grange, their debut album Hark! The Village Wait is a pioneering album that set out the blueprint for folk-rock.

Their 1970 album Please To See the King became a classic, while Ten Man Mop made inroads into the rock scene.

Further line-up changes ensued after this, and with a more rock-oriented approach, it was this line-up that enjoyed the biggest commercial success, with the acapella Latin carol Gaudete giving a Christmas chart entry in 1973 and a No 5 hit in 1975 with All Around My Hat produced by Mike Batt.

The band went their separate ways in the late 1970s, but got back together, releasing Sails of Silver in 1980 and Back in Line in 1986.

There were more line-up changes, but 1995 was a landmark years for the band.

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Celebrating their 25th anniversary, they organised a one-off reunion of all members past and present for a charity gig in London.

Fast forward to now and the band has released a staggering 26 studio albums with a new seven piece line-up - Maddy Prior, Andrew Sinclair, Liam Genockey, Julian Littman, Jessie May Smart with Roger Carey joining on bass and Benji Kirkpatrick – whose father John enjoyed two successful stints in the band and played on many of their classic albums – adding bouzouki, acoustic guitar and vocals.

Their 50th anniversary tour - which is slightly delayed because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic - will see them breathe life into a selection of their most famous songs, revisit hidden gems from their long and varied career and perform newer tracks that some may not have heard.

Steeleye Span will bring the tour to the Wycombe Swan in High Wycombe on Friday, October 15, at 7.30pm. This is a rescheduled tour stop from October 2020.

Tickets are priced at £32 and can be bought online now at www.wycombeswan.co.uk.