The Anna Massie Band

Winners of the “Best Folk Band” Award at the 2006 Scots Trad Music Awards, The Anna Massie Band is a young, dynamic trio finding a very warm welcome amongst Scotland’s top bands. “Celtic culture in sparkling form" (Celtic Music Shop) …“It should be illegal to be so young and so talented” (Dirty Linen)

Featuring Anna Massie (Young Trad Musician of the Year 2003), on fiddle, mandolin, tenor banjo and flat-picking guitar, Jenn Butterworth on guitar and vocals and Mairearad Green on accordion and border pipes, the band has made a considerable impression on the international folk scene. Previous festival performances include Celtic Connections, Orkney, Shetland, HebCeltic, Tønder, Gigha, Jura, Goderich and Blas. Anna has twice soloed at Cape Breton’s Celtic Colours Festival; in 2006 the band performed at the festival’s 10th anniversary, as well as touring Denmark and Sweden and performing at the Cambridge Folk Festival and a host of other British venues.
                                
Anna’s debut “Glad Company” was released in November 2003 to great critical acclaim. The band’s album “The Missing Gift” was released in January 2006, with critic Sue Wilson commending their “near telepathic attunement and seemingly inexhaustible inventiveness”.

With a “friendly, engaging and highly musical stage presence,” this band is on the up, as their increasing array of nominations and awards proves: nominated for “Best Up and Coming Act” at the 2004 Scots Trad Music Awards, Anna’s nominations for the “Horizon” award at the 2005 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and “Best Instrumentalist” at the 2005 Scots Trad Music Awards, and “Best Folk Band” at the Scots Trad Music Awards in 2006.

Anna Massie was the winner of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2003 Award. A talented multi-instrumentalist, she excels in playing the fiddle, mandolin and tenor banjo. Though perhaps most impressive is her guitar playing - equally at home either accompanying in her unique rhythmic style or flatpicking tunes, Massie’s dexterity shines through.

At Celtic Connections last year, Anna’s first commission was performed – her New Voices piece was very well received by critics and audience alike. She also performed a Master and Apprentice gig with guitar whiz John Doyle. This year saw her performing with the Karen Matheson Band, Donald Shaw, and many international musicians in Donald Shaw’s “Harvest.” Further to the performance at Celtic Connections, Anna has become a regular member of the Karen Matheson Band, touring the UK and to France and Italy.

As well as live performances Anna is a busy recording artist with notable appearances on Michael McGoldrick’s latest album “Wired,” Troy MacGillivray's "Eleven" and, most recently, Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain’s new “Roads Not Travelled” album.

For more info check out www.annamassie.com

Jenn has always had a love for traditional music.  Brought up in Whithorn in Dumfries and Galloway, she began playing fiddle at the age of 10.  She soon began borrowing her father’s guitar, and by the age of 14 she was singing and playing in local venues.  As she continued to grow as a musician and performer she travelled with her family to many different festivals across the UK delivering workshops, playing as a band and performing solo. 

An honours graduate of Strathclyde University’s BA in Applied Music course, Jenn is highly sought after both as an accompanist and a singer.

As a member of the trio with Anna Massie and Mairearad Green, her vocal and rhythmic skills shine.

Last year's Celtic Connections saw her team up with Eddi Reader for a very mature Master and Apprentice concert. Jenn is also a winner of the Danny Kyle Open Stage Award, where she performed with Skye fiddler Sarah Naylor. The duo supported Deaf Shepherd and performed in the Musical Ark.

For more info check out www.jennbutterworth.co.uk

Originally from the Wester Ross village of Achiltibuie, Mairearad is now based as a professional musician in the happening city of Glasgow. She is equally talented on the accordion, the pipes and the piano. At just 16, Mairearad was in the finals of BBC Young Scottish Traditional Musician of the Year 2001. She then went on to attend the Plockton Music School of Excellence for her final year at school, where she received tuition from PM Ian MacFadyen and former Runrig accordionist, Blair Douglas. She has recently attained a BA in French and Marketing from the University of Strathclyde.

A keen composer, Mairearad's tunes are rapidly becoming popular session tunes and have been recorded by other bands, such as Canadian band Clan Terra and fellow accordionist Gary Innes. Among the best-known are "Maggie West's Waltz," "Dad's Landrover" and "Dram Behind the Curtain."

Mairearad can be seen regularly performing with Anna and Jenn, and is also a member of the all female pipe group "Tachem" as well as the new accordion extravaganza known as "Box Club." This winter will see Mairearad touring with the fantastic Karine Polwart Band.

For more info check out www.mairearadgreen.com