Named after a biblical story of sacrilege, folk duo Belshazzar's Feast may look like a stern pair but they have won over audiences across the globe with their wickedly inventive music and hilarious banter.

Now celebrating their 20th anniversary Paul Sartin (of Bellowhead and Faustus), who learnt his trade at The Purcell School, and Paul Hutchinson (of Hoover The Dog), mix traditional folk music with a touch of classical and jazz and throw in a bit of pop and music hall.

They were nominated for the Best Duo Award at the 2010 BBC Folk Awards for their and are now back on the road with their Christmas-themed show The Stocking Fillers Tour, coming to The Old Town Hall tomorrow (Dec 4).

Is there a musician who inspired you?

PS: I was inspired by music itself – listening to records and the radio. Everything from J. S. Bach to Beethoven to Britten to the Beach Boys – and others not beginning with B. And I was surrounded by excellent musicians at school and youth orchestra which is great encouragment for a young person.

PH: My mother encouraged me to take up the piano at the tender age of 6, but I am not sure she inspired me. Her party piece was Country Gardens which she wrecked.

How do you write your songs… does it start from sound or an emotion?

PS: We don’t generally write songs, but arrange traditional or folk songs. We do however write our own tunes. Sometimes to fit existing words, which are obviously the starting point. If they are stand alone tunes, I suppose it's an unquantifiable mixture of both sound and emotion.

PH: Both. I have set words to music recently - Gethsemene by Rudyard Kipling for example. The emotion and sentiment of the words certainly played an important part in shaping the way the melody was constructed. I find composition easier if there is a remit. I have just written and arranged all but one track for an album recently released by Pagoda Project.

What have you learnt most about being a musician?

PS: That it's a dubious career choice, financially!!!

PH: Survival instincts.

When you were starting out what kind of job did you have to do to make ends meet?

PS: After university, I sang in the Cathedral Choir in Oxford, which was part time, but paid enough for me to embark on more speculative paths. I also taught music for many years.

PH: I was lucky. I had sold my business and had sufficient savings to support me while I was getting established.

Where did you grow up?

PS: London? Bit of a dump really!!! I got out as soon as I could, but like going back for work and social reasons – and being able to come home afterwards. I've lived in Whitchurch in Hampshire for nearly ten years, and love it. It's a bit like Trumpton…

PH: I spent many years in Bournemouth. It is renowned for it’s miles of sunny beaches but I prefer to celebrate the town for its’ football team - AFC Bournemouth.

Where do you like to hang out?

PS: The Bell. Locals' pub with formica, srtip lighting, darts, and a great jukebox. Quite a few musicians go there, both pro and amateur.

PH: In my conservatory in the picturesque town of Calne, Wiltshire. I also particularly like walking in the beautiful and peaceful Pewsey Vale.

How old are you?

PS: 44 – time for a midlife crisis?

PH: Old enough to remember the White Heather Club.

What music did your parents listen to when you were growing up and has this affected your style or inspired your music?

PS: My mum started me out on recorder, violin and piano, so she's the one to blame! We listened to classical music, so discovering other forms of music has been down to me, and quite exciting.

PH: My parents taste was classical music, though I remember my father singing hits from Oklahoma! I am influenced and inspired by classical music and still listen to it in my car on long journeys. I think my father was more of an influence than I realised at the time and sadly only acknowledged this two years ago. We had a piano (built by my grandfather), my children have it now.

Who were your music teachers and did they have any influence on your style?

PS: I had great class teachers, and violin and recorder teachers at primary school. They encouraged me to go to the borough childrens' ensemble, which were superb (I recently did a gig with one of the conductors, who directed me when I was 10!). I ended up at the Purcell School of Music, where needless to say the music tuition was amazing. I still keep in touch with quite a few of the staff, and fellow pupils too.

PH: Earnest Edwards taught me piano but none of the music I learnt for the grades seemed relevant at the time. I am sure that learning to read music and all the scales and arpeggios helped enormously although I didn’t realise that at the time.

The Old Town Hall, Hemel Hempstead, Friday, December 4, 8pm. Details: 01442 228 091, toth.dacorum.gov.uk, belshazzarsfeast.com