Multi-talented traditional girls take Moray in their stride

Mairearad and Anna - Scottish traditional music stars include Moray in their national tour
Mairearad and Anna – Scottish traditional music stars include Moray in their national tour

A SINGING DUO that prompted praise for their performance at the Celtic Connections Festival from none other than KT Tunstall has booked a date in Moray as part of their national tour.

Mairearad Green and Anna Massie recently released their third album “Best Day”, recorded on the Scottish Borders and now set to see live performances from London to Elgin.

While the pair have teamed up with some of the finest bands Scotland has to offer, the album is very much a mirror of their own live shows, combining Mairearad’s deft and lyrical accordion style and masterful piping.

That is complemented by Anna’s unparalleled versatility on guitar, fiddle and banjo – and over twelve years playing together their live set demonstrates the pair’s seemingly infinite abilities as musicians and a symbiotic synergy of performing together.

Mairearad (Margaret in Gaelic) has been playing since she was at school: “I have played music from a young age and I first started writing music when I was about 15 years old for a school composition project. Since then, composing has always been my favourite thing about being a musician.”

The pair are now based in Glasgow – and are very much looking forward to going on the road as a duo again, Anna commenting: “Playing in the duo is a real treat for both of us, and we really do love getting out and about to as many places as possible.

“Within larger bands you tend to have a more defined role – be that accompanist, melody player, or whatever – but with the duo, we swap those roles back and fore a good bit. Not only does that make it great fun for us, but a different and, moreover, enjoyable gig for audiences too.”

And KT Tunstall as a fan? That came from her Tweeting after that Celtic Connections performance “You guys were killing it…amazing playing!”

Mairearad and Anna are on stage at the Drouthy Cobbler in Elgin on April 24 at 7.30pm – tickets and further information can be obtained by visiting www.thedrouthycobbler.co.uk