Greentrax Recordings Celebrates Anniversary with Ceilidh

Scotland, UK – Greentrax Recordings is celebrating its 20th with the publication of a full color catalog; the release of a 3 CD Compilation (Scotland – the Music and the Song), tracing the company’s releases over twenty years; and culminating with a Ceilidh to be held in the Queen’s Hall Edinburgh on Saturday 22nd of July 2006 with The Occasionals Ceilidh Band and songs and music from other Greentrax artists. 2006 also marks the ‘Golden Wedding Anniversary’ of Greentrax directors June and lan Green.

There have been many highlights over the past twenty years, including the signing of such international artists as Jean Redpath, MBE; Catherine Ann McPhee; Mairi Maclnnes; Natalie MacMaster, of Cape Breton; Isia St Clair; Eric Bogle; Archie Fisher; Dick Gaughan; The McCalmans and Shooglenifty.

In addition, Greentrax worked closely with S.T.V. (‘Aly Bain and Friends’ Series in 1989); the films ‘The Tree of Liberty’, featuring Serge Hovey and Jean Redpath and ‘Mairi Mhor’, featuring Catherine-Ann MacPhee; the Edinburgh International Festival (who featured traditional music and song over several years); The Traditional Music And Song Association of Scotland (‘The Nineties Collection’); and other notable projects.

Many fine albums resulted from these associations. S.T.V. featured Ian and the Company’s achievements in their ‘Artery Series’1998. In 1997 Greentrax was presented with the East Lothian Business Association ‘Business Achievement Award’ for good business practices and export achievements. There have also been various album and performance awards made to Greentrax artists and in 2005 Ian was himself the recipient of ‘The Hamish Henderson Award For Services to Traditional Music’ at the Scots Trad Awards, which included being added to the Scots Trad Awards ‘Hall of Fame’.

Greentrax Recordings is regarded by many as Scotland’s leading traditional music record company and, after twenty years, continues to lead the way with their wide-ranging releases, from the very traditional song and music from the archives of the School of Scottish Studies to the most contemporary of the ‘fusion’ bands such as Shooglenifty and Salsa Celtica and everything in between.

The Greentrax catalog contains an amazing mixture of Scottish (and other) traditional music, in its widest context, including music played on such unusual instruments as the Jaw Harp and the Lute, plus an album of traditional tunes played on the wonderful Bosendorfer piano.

In 2001 the entire Culburnie Records catalog was licensed by Greentrax Recordings Ltd. for the World, excluding North America and Spain. Ace fiddler Alasdair Fraser continues to manage these territories from his base in the U.S.A.

2005 was a notable year with the release of a 5 CD Box Set of Eric Bogle’s songs; the signing of four-times World Pipe Band Champions – The Simon Fraser University Pipe Band from Canada -and in 2006 Greentrax got off to a big start with the signing of ex-Run Rig star Donnie Munro -another great coupe for the East Lothian based label.

Other releases to celebrate the 20th Anniversary include a new studio album from Dick Gaughan, “Lucky For Some“; “On Home Ground – Volume 2” by the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band and a debut album from the BBC Radio 2 “Young Musicians of the Year” winners, Bodega.

The Greentrax ‘team’ consist of June Green (Director); Marina Wilson (Accounts, Royalties & Office Manager); Cath Mack (Promotions); Pat Dark (Warehouseman and Packer). Ian Green, the founder of the Company is Managing Director.