The Guardian website has used sound clips from my album “Passing Places” for a film on foraging by Sara Nason. To view this go to http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/video/2010/jun/28/foraging-scottish-highlands The Guardian describes the film as “Off-grid living and foraging expert Emma Magenta shows Michael Tait how to gather and prepare a feast of shellfish, wild garlic and edible seaweed on Scotland’s north west coast.”
Anna and I have finally put our album up on iTunes, so here is the link http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/mairearad-and-anna/id381456218 You can’t quite appreciate the beautiful debossing on our white album cover here but please do go and have a listen!
Tags: anna massie, mairearad green, new release, passing places, scottish music
Mairearad recorded a duo album with Anna Massie in June 2009 and it is now available to buy from http://www.footstompin.com/ and from Coda music in Edinburgh. All tracks on the album were recorded live at Gran’s studio in Lamington and are exactly what you would hear if you saw the girls live in concert. Mairearad plays the accordion and border pipes and Anna plays the guitar, fiddle and banjo. To listen to some tracks please visit Mairearad and Anna’s myspace page www.myspace.com/shoutyrecords.
“Thanks to everyone who voted for me at the Scots Trad Music Awards. I am absolutely over the moon to have won the PRS Composer of the Year award. It really is an honour to have won and it has provided so much inspiration already for more new music, so watch this space! Thanks again.”
Mairearad has just been nominated for composer of the year at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards. This a prestigious award with three other nominees so all votes for Mairearad will be greatly appreciated!
Voting closes on the 20th November and the winners will be announced on the 28th November at the Awards Ceremony in DG One, Dumfries. Below is a link to vote.
Mairearad’s New Voices commission “Passing Places” written for Celtic Connections 2009 will be released on CD and DVD at the end of this month. As part of The Highland Homecoming festival the band will perform the piece at 4pm on Sunday the 25th October at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in Skye and there will be a drinks reception afterwards. Please come along and tell all your friends!
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Winner of the PRS Composer of the Year award at the 2009 MG Alba Scots Music Awards and renowned for her deft and lyrical accordion style, Mairearad is one of Scotland’s finest musical exports. In great demand as a performer and composer, Mairearad can often be seen on stage with Anna Massie, Box Club, The Poozies and The Unusual Suspects and she has also toured with Karine Polwart and Eddi Reader.
Mairearad has written original music from a very young age and many of her compositions are rapidly becoming well known on the Scottish Folk scene. Among the favourites are "Maggie West's Waltz" and "Dram Behind the Curtain." The latter recently recorded on Eddi Reader’s Burns Deluxe album. “Mairearad is a genius. Dram Behind the Curtian is the best Scottish tune I have heard in years” Eddi Reader.
Branching out from the traditional folk music style of composition, in 2007, Mairearad wrote the music for the short film "Sea of Glass". This gave Mairearad the impetus to write on a larger scale and at Celtic Connections last year, Mairearad’s New Voices Commission ‘Passing Places’ was sold out and said to be a highlight of the festival. “The third, final, and undoubtedly best of this year's New Voices series.” ★★★★★ The Scotsman.
Since this performance, Mairearad has released the commission live on CD/DVD and she has also produced a book of original compositions featuring the music from Passing Places and many more.
See projects page for more information