Some forty years from her emergence on the late sixties folk club circuit, Maddy Prior is one of the most enduring, influential and respected artists in British music.

Born in Blackpool and, raised in St.Albans, Maddy first came to prominence as a duo with singer/ guitarist Tim Hart, building a reputation around the folk clubs and releasing two albums. As the 70s dawned, they joined forces with Ashley Hutchings (of Fairport Convention) and Gay & Terry Woods, with the idea of fusing folk song with rock instrumentation and technique. The new group took its name from a traditional Lincolnshire ballad 'Horkstow Grange' - the tale of a character called Steeleye Span.

So began an incredible story. Others may claim the invention of folk-rock, but Steeleye were the first to drag it into the electronic age. In the age of the giant rock band, Steeleye Span fitted the bill perfectly, taking folk music out of the backroom clubs and into the charts with a string of hit albums, gold discs and world tours. Hart and Prior remained constant in a group whose changing line-ups read like a who's who of British folk, until Tim left in 1980 and the band undertook a couple of sabbaticals, before returning in 1986.

Throughout this period, Maddy continued with extra-curricular activities. Two albums were released with June Tabor (as the Silly Sisters) and solo projects saw her work with the cream of traditional musicians including Martin Carthy, Nic Jones, Danny Thompson and John Kirkpatrick. While Steeleye continued to explore traditional material, Maddy used her albums to develop her own songwriting, despite claiming to be in awe of the craft. One of her most abiding projects was born in 1987 with the release of A Tapestry of Carols with The Carnival Band. The meeting came out of chance but this part-time collaboration has lasted for fourteen years and six albums, primarily a Yuletide affair but also exploring other ways to combine early music, hymns, classical and more with an 'anything goes' attitude. Their Christmas tours have become something of legend, as documented on the 1998 Carols At Christmas live album.

1997 was a year of change. Steeleye Span (now with original member Gay Woods back in the fold) released Time, acclaimed as their best album in many years. Two massive UK tours followed, the second of which saw Maddy make her last appearance with the band after 28 years. The workload of a band, the Carnivals, a solo career and a family had started to prove too much and a decision had to be made.

But as one door closes, so another opens, and a new solo album, Flesh & Blood was released to widespread acclaim. Combining traditional and original material, Maddy's voice had never sounded better, while her musical partners on the project- keyboardist Nick Holland and multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley (uillean pipes, whistles and guitars) were perhaps the most suited of her career. Following the release, the trio toured in the UK, Europe and USA. After debuting new material on stage, Maddy entered the studio to start work on her next album, Ravenchild. Once more immersing herself in her favourite topics of tradition, mythology and history, the record was released in spring 1999 to critical acclaim and supported by another British tour.

Ravenchild proved to be something of a landmark, being Maddy's 35th album in as many years. It seemed only too appropriate to mark this, so in December 1999 Maddy set out on the road again for a special set of dates celebrating her career thus far. As well as Nick and Troy, the shows brought together some of the musicians Maddy has worked with over the years including Rick Kemp and Peter Knight (of Steeleye Span), Steve Banks (from the Carnival Band) June Tabor, and Maddy & Rick's daughter, Rose Kemp. These shows were documented in the live album (and DVD) Ballads and Candles, released the following year.

2000 saw Maddy tour again with Nick and Troy, and reunite with the Carnival Band for a triumphant sell-out Christmas tour. This was followed by the announcement that Maddy's longstanding contribution to folk music was to be recognised with the award of an MBE in the New Year's honours list.

At this stage, many might be tempted to rest on their laurels, but if anything, Maddy has thrown herself into her work with even more vigour. 2001 saw her embarking on two more major UK tours, this time with a new album. Her most ambitious work so far, Arthur The King centred around an extended song-cycle exploring the facts and fictions surrounding England's legendary King. Affirming Maddy's reputation as a songwriter, and as an unsurpassed interpreter of traditional song, the album explored an even broader musical palette, from traditional folk through to hard rock and ambient electronic textures.

Maddy closed the year with another tour with the Carnival Band, and another new album. Gold Frankincense and Myrrh- another seasonal endeavour, but this time with some exciting new directions in the form of another song-cycle, offering a new slant on the well-known story of the Three Kings, and Middle Eastern influences in the music.

In 2002. Maddy took 'Arthur' on the road for a short set of UK dates, culminating in Tintagel, mythical birthplace of the King, before heading off to Australia and Japan. After a short break (and a sponsored high-altitude trek in Peru to raise money for Cancer Research), Maddy returned with another new project: Maddy Prior's Girls brought together Maddy, her daughter Rose Kemp, and Abbie Lathe in a stripped-down, acoustic form, with an emphasis on vocal harmony, and a range of material from traditional folk, gospel and blues to contemporary writers and original material from all three. A well-received album Bib & Tuck and two successful tours followed.

And to close another eventful year, Maddy surprised everyone with the announcement that she was to head a reunited Steeleye Span for another album and tour. Present: the Very Best of Steeleye Span was exactly that, with the band revisiting, and bringing into the present their all-time favourite moments as chosen by their fans via an online poll. The band's sold-out tour in the run-up to Christmas 2002 showed they were still very much a force to be reckoned with.

Another solo album with a royal theme followed: Lionhearts saw Maddy, joined by Nick and Troy once again stretching the boundaries in the form of an extended song cycles- this time turning her attention to the historical king Richard I, 'The Lionheart', dramatising the world of the 12th century crusader king and his parents Eleanor of Aquitane and Henry II.

2004 has so far been a momentous year as Steeleye celebrated their 35th anniversary with tours in the Australia and the UK, a headline appearance at Sidmouth International Festival and a new album: They Called Her Babylon, the first release of new material from the band since 2000, and one that does the band's legacy proud.

Maddy Prior has produced one of the most outstanding and varied bodies of work in the field of British folk music: still in love with her medium, still pushing at the boundaries, still fascinated by the possibilities that music has to offer. And it shows