“Summer Isles” is a musical love story of the landscape and lore that surrounds her home in Achnahaird, Achiltibuie in Wester Ross. Mairearad is the daughter of David Green, former Highland Council Convener and Chairman of the Crofters Commission, and his wife Sheila, who teaches at Ullapool High School.
To mark the release of the CD, the owners of the Tanera Mor Post Office are issuing a special new collection of stamps called “ Island Music”. The stamps will feature black and white images by local photographer Peter Haring and the first day cover will be illustrated with Mairearad’s own sketches. Lizzie Williams, daughter of Bill Wilder, who owns the island of Tanera Mor and who runs the island Post Office, has been a great help on this project. Mairearad said: “It’s a special issue to celebrate the history and music of Tanera, using artwork created for the cover of my album. I don’t think many musicians have had that compliment before!”.
In 2014 she spent many weeks researching stories from the islands, reading poetry and books to help set the tone for the album. The result is “Summer Isles”, a collection of acoustic and folk tunes and songs all composed by Mairearad, and with some of the lyrics written by Jan Kilpatrick, local artist. Each track tells the story of a different chapter in the islands’ history.
King Creosote, the stage name of singer-songwriter Kenny Anderson from Fife, sings on “Star of Hope”, a track from the album which is also being released as a single.
“I’m very chuffed about that,” said Mairearad, who plays accordion, pipes, piano and also sings.”He has the perfect voice for the song and to have someone of that calibre singing one of my songs is really exciting.”
For the album launch, it’s no surprise that Mairearad has gone right back to her roots – Coigach Community Hall in Achiltibuie on April 2. A number of other gigs are planned around the country.
She also plans for a special, smaller gig on Tanera Mor, the largest and only inhabited island of the Summer Isles. The island, which is currently up for sale, is inhabited by just two people and lies around a mile off the coast.
Mairearad is joined on the album by a number of other guest musicians including Hector McInnes on vocals, Ross Saunders on bass, Scott MacKay playing drums, and clarinetist Jo Nicolson.
Also featuring are Pat McGarvey on banjo, fiddler Mike Vass, and backing vocalists Annie Grace, Jeana Leslie and Hamish Napier.
Mairearad regularly performs alongside multi-instrumentalist Anna Massie from the Black Isle, with whom she has recorded several albums, and has previously toured with Eddi Reader and Karine Polwart among others. She is a regular at folk festivals including Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Cambridge Folk Festival, Hebridean Celtic Music Festival, and Tonder Folk Festival in Denmark.
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Note: You can find out more about Mairearad via her web site www.mairearadgreen.com.
The CD is available to buy from her website and also it is available online on places such as iTunes, and Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Summer-Isles-Mairearad-Green/dp/B01AGP524M/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1455963976&sr=1-1&keywords=mairearad+green and it will also be in retail outlets.
Also available on Mairearad’s website, http://www.mairearadgreen.com/shop/
Shop – Mairearad Green
www.mairearadgreen.com
07734925678
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