Posted: 22nd August 2014

It was with great sadness that I learned this morning of the death of my friend and Greentrax artist Jean Redpath. She died in a hospice in Arizona, USA, during the afternoon of 21st August after a fairly long illness. Jean was a lovely person and never failed to phone me when she came home annually for a holiday in Scotland - to what had been her Mum’s house in Elie, Fife. Most of her time was spent in the USA where she toured tirelessly but she also attained international recognition as a singer and ambassador of Scottish song. Her MBE was indeed well deserved. She called me some weeks ago when she was again in Scotland and it seemed she was saying ‘Goodbye’. I will greatly miss this lovely, warm person. Rest in peace Jean.

Ian Green

Jean Redpath was cremated in Arizona, USA. Her ashes will be returned to Scotland to be buried with her father.

Cards may be sent to us here at Greentrax Recordings Ltd and we will send them on to Jean’s brother Sandy Redpath.

We currently have no information about any Memorial Service.

Posted: 17th July 2014

The 2014 Trad On The Tyne Festival takes place in Haddington, East Lothian on the weekend of Friday 29th to Sunday 31st August. You can buy tickets now through the festival website.

The outstanding Karine Polwart and Blazin’ Fiddles (the current Folk Band Of The Year) will be topping the bill at this year’s festival.

Other headline acts will include The Friel Sisters, The Victorian Trout Conspiracy and local singer/songwriter Alex Hodgson, while the programme will again feature Massed Pipes And Drums, Open Stage, workshops, come-and-try classes, storytelling, pub sessions, and a wide range of family entertainment.

Organised by Haddington Pipe Band in association with the Waterloo Bistro, Trad On The Tyne is now in its fourth year. All the festivals to date have been shortlisted - and won commendations - for the Best Small Festival In Scotland title at the Scottish Event Awards.

The headline event at the 2012 festival in Haddington was Steele The Show, the outstanding tribute concert to the late, great Prestonpans singer and songwriter Davy Steele, who died in 2001.

Ian Green (Greentrax MD) is the Honorary President of the festival.

Posted: 22nd May 2014

The Scottish Diaspora Tapestry and companion Greentrax album are being launched on Saturday 31st May in Prestonpans Community Centre. The launch is by invitation only but the Tapestry will thereafter go on exhibition. It is an amazing work of art by Andrew Crummy and his many volunteer stitchers and is really worth a visit.

The 3 Harbours Arts Festival will take place in Cockenzie, Port Seton and Prestonpans between 31st May and 8th June - brochure (pdf) available here.

We have had good feedback on the latest release For Freedom Alone - The Wars Of Independence - commemorating the 700th anniversary of Bannockburn in music and song.

The Bruce & Walker combination CD/DVD Born To Rottenrow is currently receiving a lot of radio play and is being entered by Greentrax for The Barclaycard Mercury Prize.

Posted: 22nd April 2014

An acoustic album by Donnie Munro is at the planning stage, a joint effort by Greentrax and Hypertension Music, Germany.

Donnie’s previous albums on Greentrax are An Turas (The Journey) Live and Heart Of America (Across The Great Divide). He recently toured Germany with his band and forthcoming acoustic dates are:

• Friday 25th April - Braid Art Centre, Ballymena
• Saturday 26th April - Pavilion Theatre, Dublin
• Friday 30th May - Assembly Rooms, Wick
• Saturday 31st May - Strathy Hall, Thurso
• Thursday 17th July - Hebridean Celtic Festival, Stornoway (full band)
• Saturday 2nd August - Crail Festival, Crail

Posted: 4th February 2014

Broadcaster Andrew Marr was recently invited by Songlines magazine to select a favourite playlist for their free covermount CD.

One of the tracks Andrew selected was Dick Gaughan’s version of Brian McNeill’s song No Gods and Precious Few Heroes, taken from the album Dick Gaughan - Sail On.