A HUSBAND and wife music duo will be performing in Maldon at the end of this month.

MacTheatre is kicking off its new season of music by hosting folk band Megson at the Blue Boar Hotel, in Silver Street, on Thursday, January 31.

Megson are regarded as one of the UK’s finest folk roots duos and are set to release ninth studio album Con-tra-dic-shun in February.

Over the past 16 years, Teeside-born husband and wife Stu and Debbie Hanna have melded their polar backgrounds of punk musician and classically trained singer to emerge as a distinctive and charismatic pairing on the folk scene.

Debbie plays her trademark accordion and Stu switches between mandolin, banjo, guitars and fiddle.

Nominated four times for Best Duo at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and winners of Best Duo and Best Original Song in the Spiral Awards, they were described as a force in the folk revival by The Observer Magazine.

Their visit to Maldon closely follows their album launch party in Cambridge and is part of their countrywide spring tour.

Stu said: “We began writing and collecting the songs for the album two years ago when we stumbled across the title song in the 1870 book of Tyneside Songs, Ballads and Drolleries – an obscure composition by Geordie Victorian balladeer Joe Wilson.

“It sparked the idea for a whole collection of songs about everything from Victorian domestic disagreements to 21st Century marital arts mayhem.”

The macTheatre is thrilled to welcome the duo.

A spokesman said: “It’s brilliant to have Megson play here and always exciting to introduce new artists to our audience.

“Their material has that lovely ability to instantly connect and they are a very warm and engaging duo with a great sense of humour – just what’s needed for a January evening.

“It will be an exciting time to have them perform in Maldon and in such an atmospheric setting.”

The event starts at 8pm and tickets are £12.50 in advance or £14 on door.

Tickets can be bought from the tourist information centre in Wenlock Way.

For details, call 01621 856503 or visit mactheatre.org.uk.