THE last time I saw Dave Swarbrick he was wearing an oxygen mask and playing fiddle at Fibbers, York, with his old sparring partner, the guitarist Martin Carthy.

Alongside the CDs for sale were copies of his obituary published prematurely by The Daily Telegraph in April 1999 and detailing his influential contribution to the British folk revival, particularly his membership of folk-rock band Fairport Convention.

Ravaged by emphysema, Swarb's love of traditional music kept him going against all odds.

He received a new pair of lungs in October 2004 and now he's back on the road at the age of 66 and playing as well as ever. He's teamed up with guitarists, Maartin Allcock and Kevin Dempsey, to form the acclaimed trio Swarb's Lazarus.

Their gig on Saturday night was quality acoustic music at its best. They played jigs, reels and hornpipes at breakneck speed as Dempsey's guitar and Allcock's bouzouki-guitar (the Bouzar) traded licks with Swarbrick's fiddle.

The trio created an intricate tapestry of sound as their expert playing excited an enthusiastic audience.

To add variety, both Dempsey and Allcock pitched in with songs including I Know My Love, One Night As I Lay On My Bed, The Pride Of Kildare and Two Constant Lovers.

One encore was insufficient as the audience cried out for more. A foot-tapping set of Irish polkas sent everyone home happy.