THERE aren't many folk who can say they have an MBE as well as an honorary doctorate of music, but Martin Carthy is one of them.

It is fair to say the singer and guitarist is regarded as one of the finest exponents of traditional music of the British Isles.

Martin was awarded an MBE for his services to English folk music in 1998 and an honorary doctorate of music by Sheffield University last year.

"That for me was incredible," he says about the doctorate.

Martin's love of music runs in the family, and he is currently recording an album with his wife Norma Waterson and his daughter Eliza Carthy, who all sing, while Eliza plays a panoply of other instruments, too.

"It is the fifth album - our first family album was recorded together in 1993, when Eliza was 18," he says..

Martin, a chorister at the age of 11, first picked up the guitar at the age of 15, and taught himself to play by ear.

He then began playing with other musicians he knew.

"It was a simple time. We didn't try and get a deal," he said.

"People just played together with mates."

Martin did not become a professional until a period when he was "resting" as an actor - though if he hadn't got a few lucky breaks as a thespian as soon as he left school, he may have chosen music as a career earlier.

"I walked into a couple of jobs, including touring with a musical - I was lucky," he says.

"I was a stage manager in Scarborough, but when I came out of that, I was out of work, and I was playing guitar at the time, and I just wanted to carry on doing that."

In 1970, Martin joined successful electric folk band Steeleye Span, leaving a year later.

In 1973 he joined the Albion Country Band, which split due to lack of money.

Shortly afterwards, Martin became a member of The Watersons with Norma and her brother and sister Mike and Lal.

Martin rejoined Steeleye Span in 1977, and in between his group ventures, he maintained a busy solo career during which he recorded many acclaimed albums.

In 1998, he released his current album, Signs of Life on Topic records.

"The songs are a mixture - some are funny, some are not funny, some dramatic, some intriguing," says Martin.

You can Martin at Huntingdon Hall, CrownGate, Worcester on Thursday, February 5.

Tickets are £8.50 (£7.50 concessions).

For tickets or for further

information, call the box office on 01905 611427.