大象传媒

Electric folk legends Fairport Convention are in session for Mark, as they prepare for their 2013 winter tour.

Formed in North London in the late 60s, the fledgling Fairport Convention were inspired by popular American acts of the time like Jefferson Airplane and The Byrds. Later, under the influence of gifted lead singer Sandy Denny, they began to fuse rock with English traditional song. Sandy's remarkable voice, combined with the inspired musical pairing of fiddler Dave Swarbrick and guitarist Richard Thompson, pioneered an exciting and enduring brand of British folk rock.

Radio 2 listeners have since voted the Fairport's 1969 LP Liege & Lief as the Most Influential Folk Album of All Time, and the band's recording of Who Knows Where The Time Goes? as their Favourite Folk Track of All Time. The Fairport's own summer festival, the Cropredy Convention, has taken place in Oxfordshire since 1976 and attracts a crowd of 20,000.

Ahead of their annual Wintour - which begins in Tewkesbury on 31 January - Fairport Convention's 2013 line-up of Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Chris Leslie, Ric Sanders and Gerry Conway, join Mark in the studio to play tracks from their latest album, By Popular Request. The collection, which features new recordings of fans' favourites, forms part of the band's 45th anniversary celebrations.

Next Wednesday, the weekly Folk Show makes way for the 2013 大象传媒 Radio 2 Folk Awards, as Mark joins Julie Fowlis onstage at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall to introduce the usual mix of fantastic live performances and special guests.