FOLK rock pioneers Steeleye Span are marking their 45th anniversary with an autumn tour that visits Leeds City Varieties Music Hall on Monday and York Barbican on Tuesday.

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

Through the years, Steeleye Span have provided a home for a long list of fine musicians, such as past members Martin Carthy, John Kirkpatrick, Tim Harries, Bob Johnson and Peter Knight, while the latest new recruit is Jessie May Smart, who will be touring alongside Maddy Prior, Rick Kemp, Liam Genockey, Julian Littman and Peter Zorn.

Taking over from long-standing fiddle player Peter Knight, Jessie is a young, vibrant talent who trained with Richard Ireland at Trinity College of Music before studying at University of Nottingham. She has since worked on The X Factor and with Katie Melua.

Steeleye released their latest album, Wintersmith, in collaboration with Sir Terry Pratchett at the end of 2013. The record is based on Pratchett’s novel Wintersmith, whose subject matter of ancient rituals and secret folk dances chimes with the band's previous work while taking it in new directions.

The 45th anniversary set list will be a mixture of highlights from Wintersmith and familiar Steeleye gems such as Gaudete and All Around My Hat.

Steeleye Span, Leeds City Varieties Music Hall, Monday; York Barbican, Tuesday, 7.30pm

Tickets for York are on sale on 0844 854 2757 and at yorkbarbican.co.uk; for Leeds, 0113 243 0808 or at cityvarieties.co.uk