ONE of the most popular bands to have toured the Artsreach circuit return to rural Dorset to celebrate their 25 years together.

Since 1986, when The Mellstock Band released their album Under the Greenwood Tree, which was a selection of dance tunes and carols from the Hardy family manuscripts, the band has entertained audiences all over the world, released albums, and provided music for stage, screen and radio.

Now the band’s four members – Phil Humphries, Dave Townsend, Tim Hill and Charles Spicer, are celebrating their quarter-century with a show called Hardy Perennials.

It is made up of the most popular of their musical and spoken pieces, under the broad headings of Love and Marriage, A Soldier’s Life, Rogues and Villains, Speed the Plough, Faith and Superstition and Making Merry.

Nearly all the music is from Dorset tradition, linked by poems and stories from the works of Thomas Hardy and the Dorset dialect poet William Barnes.

The band sings, tells tales and plays fiddle, concertina, oboe, clarinet and serpent, performing in period costume.

Phil, who plays the serpent, said: “We are all looking forward so much to the show because it is made up of pour most popular pieces of music and spoken word covering all different aspects of life in Hardy’s Dorset.

“Some of it is very funny, including a Barnes poem about a witch, and I hope audiences will have as much fun watching it as we have performing.”

As well as playing live, the band has appeared in the much lauded television adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and in Tess of the d’Urbervilles starring Gemma Arterton.

They are also much in demand across the Atlantic and make regular trips to New England to perform.

Because of the band’s popularity, advance booking for the 25th anniversary performances is recommended.

You can see The Mellstock Band at village halls in Chetnole on December 1 (call 01935 873555 for bookings and details), Cerne Abbas on December 2 (call 01300 341332), Thorncombe on December (01460 30994) and Milborne St Andrew on December 4 (01258 837371).

All performances start at 7.30pm.