Lucy Chattoe was welcomed to a rare press conference with Fairport Convention at the Cropredy Festival.

There she spoke with Ric Sanders to find out what makes him and Fairport Convention tick...

Lucy - How do you see Cropredy developing in the next few years?

Ric - I just see it carrying on as we have been doing it for years. Believe it or not, this is my 18th Cropredy and I would like it to develop along the lines of having weather like this every year!

It's also a great opportunity to book the people that we'd like to listen to. We have had some fantastic acts here like Lindisfarne and Dennis Locorriere, great people.

Ric Sanders and Chris Leslie perform at Cropredy Festival.

Also in past years we have had the pleasure of playing with other musicians.

I remember with fondness doing sets with Gary Brooker of Procol Harum who of course were here in their own right last night.

We also did a set with Mike Wood, performing 'I Wish it could be Christmas Everyday' in the middle of an Oxfordshire field, in the middle of August!

That was good, we even had a snow machine - we should definitely have that back!

Lucy - Is this the ideal sized format or would you like it to grow at all?

Ric - I don't see any necessity for it to grow. I know we've had up to 20,000 people here, but I think that was on an anniversary. But, it seems to accommodate everyone who wants to come.

We live in a world where everybody in the music industry wants world domination, but personally I'm not interested in that.

If it got bigger it would lose the character. Cropredy is about intimacy.

Lucy - What do you think about the ageing fan base here, and trying to bring on the next generation?

Ric - It's a great thing we have people from all generations.

I've seen families here when there have been grandparents, parents and children and I wouldn't be surprised if we had great-grandparents and grandchildren here as well!

It (Cropredy Festival) does appeal right across the board.

I remember a few years ago when Oasis were at their peak, some teenage girls who we interviewed were given the option by their mother to see Oasis at Knebworth or to see us here at Cropredy. Both events being on the same day.

The girls came to Cropredy while their mum went to Knebworth. So that turns the generation thing upside down!

Lucy - Is there any music or musical styles you would incorporate into future festivals?

Ric - We travel round a lot of festivals in the United States and I often see a lot of things that I would love to have.

I'd also quite like to have more world music acts on. Maybe that would be a way to develop in the future.

A few years ago we had the Gypsies from Raja Stan, they were great.

I have to say that Dave Pegg is mostly responsible for the final decision as to who we book and he has never been truly wrong with what our audience likes.

This year it's more of a retro festival, but who knows what future years will bring. I'm very open-minded.

Lucy - Do you have any ingredients you would like to incorporate into Fairport Convention music?

Ric - Tonight for the first time at Cropredy you will hear Chris Leslie playing on a Native-American flute, which we brought back from America.

Ric gives it his all at Cropredy.

The moment he picked it up, it seemed as if he was born with it, the music just came out. It was fascinating and so we incorporated that into our music. We're always looking for that sort of thing.

Fairport Convention have now settled into more of an acousticy sound again.

We used to have keyboards as well, but every band now has synthesisers and samplers and things like that, but some of them do it very very well so I think Fairport Convention are happy to leave the keyboards at home.

Lucy - With changing musical movements over the past decades, what is it about your music that continues to appeal to the younger generation?

Ric - I would hope it appeals to people of a younger generation as much as the best of music around today appeals to me.

I find it a real shame when sometimes you hear older musicians slag off younger musicians, saying that they can't really play, that they just use computers, while you hear younger musicians slag off older ones saying that these guys are just dinosaurs and they're not interesting, not where it's happening.

It's such a shame whichever way it happens, because I really think there are some fantastic things around.

I really got into some of the dance acts like The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers. I love those guys.

Craig David is tremendous, there's lots of gifted young bands out, there's lots of good stuff. I would like music not to cause generational conflict. Good music is good music in any time or place. Music is for everybody to play, for everyone.

I don't like the music industry as it is very much at the moment with the Pop Idol and Fame Academy.

The stage is set with amazing lights at Cropredy Festival.

I find it kind of cruel - I don't see why anybody should slag anybody off for wanting to perform.

I find it sad that the music business is run by marketing men and advertising men. I can't stand those people because it has nothing to do with art.

I think music is important, and should be original in its own way. Music has a function which goes further than just entertainment.

It should be there to improve the planet, to make it a better place, to increase people's consciousness, and to bring people together.

We live in a world which is torn apart by cultural and religious differences and music has the capacity to bring us together. If you get a bunch of musicians from any country in the world, they don't fight, they jam. Which is better? I would love to see more people in the music industry actually getting control.

I don't want to see people like Simon Cowell and such in charge. Good luck to them, they make a lot of money. I'm not knocking them, they could be nice guys, but I wish they hadn't hijacked the art form of music which I love so dearly.

I would like to see kids with something to say, to say it loudly and to get control of music out from those bastards.

Lucy - Do you think the success of Fairport Convention would be so great without the success of the festival?

Ric - I don't think it would, no. I think the festival is central to our existence, but we do a winter tour as well.

Dave Pegg gets into the spirit of it at Cropredy.

We go out and we visit people - we visit them in their towns. Cropredy is when they come and visit us - people come from all over the world and that's great.

I certainly think it keeps the profile of the band probably higher than it would be without it.

I think we would carry on without it if it ever stops. As long as I've got breath I'll want to carry on doing Fairport, carry on doing Cropredy.

Music is just a lifelong activity; I've never seen it as a short-term career. I've been professional since I was about 22, so it's a great privilege to still be doing it.

I get nervous up there, but I really love those people and I want to do the best I can for them.

Compiled by Lucy Chattoe