Posted: 14th January 2014
Sally Barker of The Poozies appeared on The Voice (BBC TV) on Saturday 11th January and was chosen by Tom Jones to be her mentor. Sally can be heard on the Greentrax album The Poozies - Yellow Like Sunshine.
Posted: 7th January 2014
Dougie Vipond presented a programme on BBC TV Scotland over the festive period in which he examined the Robert Burns song Auld Lang Syne in depth. By coincidence he featured an Indian recording of the song, similar to the Bengali version included on our album The Scottish Diaspora. Vipond also travelled to Japan and visited a department store at closing time, when Auld Lang Syne is played over the tannoy, as in all such stores, to warn customers that shopping has ended for the day. This information is also included in the sleeve notes to The Scottish Diaspora. One of Dougie’s guests was Tony Roper who stated that his favourite recorded version of Auld Lang Syne is by Mairi Campbell of The Cast (also included on the Diaspora album and of course part of the Sex And The City movie soundtrack).
Discussion also centered around why so many people wrongly sing Zyne instead of Syne.
Posted: 12th November 2013
Celebrating the life and Gaelic song collection of Margaret Fay Shaw, A Little Bird Blown Off Course is a new piece of music-theatre by Fiona J Mackenzie, presented by the National Theatre of Scotland and Blas Festival in partnership with the National Trust For Scotland.
The musicians are Signy Jacobsdottir, Alistair Iain Paterson, Patsy Reid and Innes White, led by Fiona J Mackenzie, while the music director is Donald Shaw.
After a successful tour earlier this year where most of the shows were sell-outs, the show will take flight again at Celtic Connections, January 31st and February 1st 2014 at The Tron in Glasgow for National Theatre of Scotland.
There have been some excellent reviews in The Scotsman, The Guardian, The Telegraph and The Herald as well as a whole page feature in The Times. The show has been nominated in the Daily Record Scottish Gaelic Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Gaelic Culture.
The September 2013 Blas Festival tour ended on Canna.
Photo: National Theatre of Scotland
Posted: 8th November 2013
The Scottish Diaspora double CD album (for the price of one CD) is in preparation for February 2014 release. Tracks have been selected, a front cover chosen and this will be off to the factory soon. Much research went into this album, which is full of surprises and quite unique.
Rottenrow Born is a CD and DVD combination by Ian Bruce and Ian Walker, receiving its finishing touches for a February 2014 release. Since the duo reformed, they have been getting a big reaction to their new songs which will be featured on the CD. The DVD will feature mainly their older material.
Welcome back to to Elaine (Accounts & Royalties) who has been on sickness leave since July and was in hospital for several weeks recovering from a major operation. The rest of the Greentrax team welcomed Elaine back in October and already our systems are working more efficiently! Thanks to those who sent good wishes to Elaine.
‘Auld Greenie’ - Ian Green - is 80 in January but still at the helm, and his book Fuzz To Folk continues to sell.
Posted: 8th November 2013
The Sangsters vocal group are now a trio: Anne Murray MBE, John Blackwood and Fiona Forbes.
They are doing gigs and are sounding great. Read a recent biography of Sangsters at Kirkcaldy Acoustic Music Club’s website.
See Greentrax albums featuring Sangsters.
“They are Scotland’s number one harmony group. They are indeed the sultans of Scottish song. Stunning close harmonies, well chosen material and some awfy funny asides - that’s Sangsters.” (Ian McCalman)