Eliza Amy Forbes Carthy,

MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...

(born 23 August 1975) is an English

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

musician known for both singing and playing the

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

. She is the daughter of English folk musicians singer/guitarist

Martin Carthy Martin Carthy MBE (born 21 May 1941) is an English folk singer and guitarist who has remained one of the most influential figures in British traditional music, inspiring contemporaries such as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, and later artists such as ...

and singer

Norma Waterson Norma Christine Waterson (15 August 1939 – 30 January 2022) was an English singer and songwriter, best known as one of the original members of The Watersons, a celebrated English traditional folk group. Other members of the group included h ...

Life and career

Carthy was born in

Scarborough, North Yorkshire Scarborough () is a seaside town in the Borough of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England. Scarborough is located on the North Sea coastline. Historic counties of England, Historically in the North Riding of Yorkshire, the town lies between 10 ...

, England. She went to school at

Fyling Hall School Fyling Hall is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school situated near the small village of Fylingthorpe, near Robin Hood's Bay, south east of Whitby, North Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1923 by Mab Bradley, the school was then r ...

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...

. She grew up on a family farm along with her maternal aunt and uncle's families who lived adjacent. At thirteen, Carthy formed the Waterdaughters with her mother, aunt (

Lal Waterson Elaine "Lal" Waterson (15 February 1943 – 4 September 1998) was an English folksinger and songwriter. She sang with, among others, The Watersons, The Waterdaughters and Blue Murder. She was born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire. In 1998, s ...

) and cousin

Marry Waterson Maria Gilhooley (née Knight), who records under the name Marry Waterson, is a singer, songwriter and visual artist. A member of the Waterson-Knight-Carthy family musical dynasty, Waterson is described as having "thrived on communal music making ...

. She has subsequently worked with

Nancy Kerr Nancy Kerr (born 1975) is an English folk musician and songwriter, specialising in the fiddle and singing. She is a Principal Lecturer in Folk Music at Leeds Conservatoire and Newcastle University. She was the 2015 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards "Folk ...

, with her parents as

Waterson–Carthy Waterson:Carthy were an English folk group originally comprising Norma Waterson on vocals, her husband Martin Carthy on guitar and vocals and their daughter Eliza Carthy on fiddle and vocals. They have a repertoire of predominantly British trad ...

, and as part of the "supergroup" Blue Murder, in addition to her own solo work. When she was 13, Carthy joined the

Goathland Plough Stots The Goathland Plough Stots are a team of Long Sword Dancers based in the village of Goathland, North Yorkshire, England. The traditional dance that they perform had died out by the start of the twentieth century but was revived in 1922. The team ...

as a fiddle player. She left school at 17 for a career as a professional touring musician. She has twice been nominated for the

Mercury Music Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...

for UK album of the year: in 1998 for ''

Red Rice Red rice is a variety of rice that is colored red by its anthocyanin content. It is usually eaten unpolished or partially polished, and has a red bran layer, rather than the more common pale brown. Red rice has a nutty flavor. It has the highes ...

'', and again in 2003 for '' Anglicana''. Carthy was a guest on the album ''

Mermaid Avenue ''Mermaid Avenue'' is a 1998 album of previously unheard lyrics written by American folk singer Woody Guthrie, put to music written and performed by British singer Billy Bragg and the American band Wilco. The project was the first of several ...

'' by

Billy Bragg Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, with lyrics that mostly span political or romantic themes. His music is ...

and

Wilco Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently dur ...

. Eliza and Billy also recorded together on the song "My Father's Mansions" which appeared on the

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...

tribute album called ''Where Have All The Flowers Gone'' (1998). In September 2002, Carthy took part in the tribute concert for

Kirsty MacColl Kirsty Anna MacColl (10 October 1959 – 18 December 2000) was a British singer and songwriter, daughter of folk singer Ewan MacColl. She recorded several pop hits in the 1980s and 1990s, including "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He ...

, "The Song's the Thing" along with other artists. In 2003, Carthy swept the boards at the Radio 2 Folk Awards, winning 'Folk Singer of the Year', 'Best Album' (for ''Anglicana'') and 'Best Traditional Track' (for "Worcester City", on the album ''Anglicana''). She was also the first traditional English musician to be nominated for a

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...

Award for World Music in the same year (for ''Anglicana''). In 2004, she was part of Oysterband Big Session, a collaboration with numerous folk artists brought together by

Oysterband Oysterband (originally The Oyster Band) is a British folk rock and folk punk band formed in Canterbury around 1976. History Early history The band formed in parallel to Fiddler's Dram, and under the name "Oyster Ceilidh Band" played purely as ...

. They produced an album ''The Big Session Volume One'', and the group as a whole were awarded Best Group at the Folk Awards in 2005. On 29 May 2005, Carthy took part in a tribute to

Peggy Seeger Margaret "Peggy" Seeger (born June 17, 1935) is an American Folk music, folk singer. She has lived in Britain for more than 60 years, and was married to the singer and songwriter Ewan MacColl until his death in 1989. First American period Seeg ...

at the

Queen Elizabeth Hall The Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) is a music venue on the South Bank in London, England, that hosts classical, jazz, and avant-garde music, talks and dance performances. It was opened in 1967, with a concert conducted by Benjamin Britten. The ...

, London. A double CD ''Three Score and Ten'' (2007) contains highlights of the concert. Eliza Carthy with The Imagined Village 2008

In 2006, she contributed three songs (one as lead vocalist, two as backing vocalist) to '' Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys'', produced by

Hal Willner Hal Willner (April 6, 1956 – April 7, 2020) was an American music producer working in recording, films, television, and live events. He was best known for assembling tribute albums and events featuring a wide variety of artists and musical sty ...

. Performing as a duo with Richard Thompson, she contributed "The Coo Coo Bird" to a boxed set called ''The Harry Smith Project'' (2006) also by Hal Willner. As a duo with

Bob Neuwirth Robert John Neuwirth (June 20, 1939May 18, 2022) was an American folk singer, songwriter, record producer, and visual artist. He was noted for being the road manager and associate of Bob Dylan, as well as the co-writer of Janis Joplin's hit so ...

, she sang "I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground" by

Bascom Lamar Lunsford Bascom Lamar Lunsford (March 21, 1882 – September 4, 1973) was a folklorist, performer of traditional Appalachian music, and lawyer from western North Carolina. He was often known by the nickname "Minstrel of the Appalachians." Biography ...

on the same boxed set. '' Dreams of Breathing Underwater'', Carthy's second collection of self penned songs was released on 23 June 2008. Combining traditional instrumentation with experimental arrangements, and drawing influences from all aspects of her career so far, the album was conceived as the follow-up to 2000s ''Angels and Cigarettes'' and has been in the making for the best part of seven years. Carthy's 2008 tour was cancelled in November, as a cyst on her throat made singing inconsistent and painful. Because of her pregnancy, doctors delayed treatment until spring 2009. She became a mother to her first daughter on 24 December 2008, with her Canadian partner Aidan Curran. The

St George's Day Saint George's Day is the feast day of Saint George, celebrated by Christian churches, countries, and cities of which he is the patron saint, including Bulgaria, England, Georgia, Portugal, Romania, Cáceres, Alcoy, Aragon and Catalonia. Sa ...

Celebrations in

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson commemo ...

on 25 April 2009 were opened by Carthy who performed two songs. In 2010, Carthy released an album of collaborations with her mother entitled ''Gift''. A BBC reviewer wrote: "The gift in question here, one gathers, is a handing of talent from generation to generation; Norma Waterson and Eliza Carthy are, after all, the sublimely gifted mother and daughter who make up part of British folk’s great dynasty." Commenting on the final song, "Shallow Brown", the reviewer noted: "Backed variously by other family members, including Eliza’s father Martin Carthy on guitar as well as her cousin Oliver Knight on electric guitar, vocals and cello, there is a real sense of congregation and rootedness about this song, and indeed this record as a whole. Long may the dynasty flourish." Her second daughter was born on 26 November 2010. In May 2012, a biography of Eliza Carthy written by Sophie Parkes and titled ''Wayward Daughter'' was published by Soundcheck Books. In 2014, she was awarded the honour of an

for services to folk music in the Queen's Birthday Honours. The same year she also marked the 50th anniversary of

Towersey Festival Towersey Festival is an annual festival of folk music, folk, world music and traditional dance, previously held in the village of Towersey, now relocated to neighbouring Thame in Oxfordshire, England. It has taken place every August bank holida ...

and the 75th anniversary of

Topic Records Topic Records is a British folk music label, which played a major role in the second British folk revival. It began as an offshoot of the Workers' Music Association in 1939, making it the oldest independent record label in the world.M. Brocken, ...

with a celebratory concert at the festival, for which she was Musical Director. Discussing the event with

Folk Radio UK Folk Radio UK, is an online Independent Music Journal covering a broad range of Folk music, Global music, Independent music, American Primitive Guitar, Drone Music and other alternative offerings. Established in 2004 by Alex Gallacher. the websi ...

she said: "Me and my family have long been associated with Towersey Festival and Topic Records and I have great affection for both. Towersey gave me my first ever solo gig, as Topic gave me my first ever solo record ..."

Discography

; with Nancy Kerr * ''Eliza Carthy & Nancy Kerr'' (1993) * ''Shape of Scrape'' (1995) * ''On Reflection'' (compilation 2002) ; Solo * ''Heat Light & Sound'' (1996) * ''Eliza Carthy & The Kings of Calicutt'' (1997) * ''

'' (originally sold as a 2-CD set. Now available as 2 separate CDs: ''Red'' and ''Rice'' 1998) * ''Angels & Cigarettes'' (2000) * '' Anglicana'' (2002) * '' The Definitive Collection'' (compilation 2003) * ''Rough Music'' (2004) * '' Dreams of Breathing Underwater'' (2008) * ''Neptune'' (2011) * ''Wayward Daughter'' (compilation 2013) * ''Eliza Carthy & The Wayward Band: Big Machine'' (2017) * ''Restitute'' (2019) ; with the Waterson family * Waterson–Carthy: ''Waterson:Carthy'' (1994) * Waterson–Carthy: ''Common Tongue'' (1996) * Waterson–Carthy: ''Broken Ground'' (1999) * Blue Murder: '' No One Stands Alone'' (2002) * Various Artists: ''Shining Bright – The Songs of Lal & Mike Waterson'' (2002) * Waterson–Carthy: ''A Dark Light'' (2002) * The Watersons: ''The Definitive Collection'' (compilation 2003) * The Watersons: ''Mighty River of Song'' (4 CD & 1 DVD compilation 2004) * Waterson–Carthy: ''Fishes and Fine Yellow Sand'' (2004) * Waterson–Carthy: ''The Definitive Collection'' (compilation 2005) * Waterson–Carthy: ''

Holy Heathens and the Old Green Man ''Holy Heathens and the Old Green Man'' is an album by Waterson–Carthy. There is more instrumental accompaniment on this collection than on any previous Waterson–Carthy album. Tracks 13 and 16 could even be mistaken for the work of Brass Mon ...

'' (2006) * Eliza Carthy & Norma Waterson: ''Gift'' (2010) * Martin & Eliza Carthy: ''The Moral of the Elephant'' (2014) * Norma Waterson & Eliza Carthy with the Gift Band: ''Anchor'' (2018) ; with Martin Green * ''Dinner'' (2001) ; with

Dave Soldier David Sulzer (born November 6, 1956) is an American neuroscientist and musician. He is a professor at Columbia University Medical Center in the departments of psychiatry, neurology, and pharmacology. Sulzer's laboratory investigates the interact ...

* ''Dean Swift's Satyrs for the Very Very Young'' (2017) ; as part of Carthy Hardy

Farrell Farrell (anglicization of the Irish ''Ó Fearghail'') is a surname and may refer to: * Farrell (surname) * Farrell Lines, shipping company (acquired by Maersk) * Farrell, Nevada, an American city * Farrell, Pennsylvania, an American city * Farr ...

Young Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one is young, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an American roc ...

* ''Laylam'' (2013) ; Collaborations and guest appearances * Norma Waterson: ''Norma Waterson'' (1996) * Chipolata 5: 'Skinless' (1996) * Tim Winton (various artists) 'Music from the novel 'Dirt Music' (one track with Tristan Chipolata and Jock Tyldesley) (1996) * Billy Bragg & Wilco: ''Mermaid Avenue'' (1998) * Various artists: ''

The Rough Guide to English Roots Music ''The Rough Guide to English Roots Music'' is a world music compilation album originally released in 1998. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the album features mainly English folk, with some tracks covering other cultures from ...

'' (1998,

World Music Network World Music Network is a UK-based record label specializing in world music. The World Music Network website features news, reviews, live music listings, and guide sections on world music. It also features an online "Battle of the Bands" compet ...

) * Lal & Norma Waterson: ''A True Hearted Girl'' (The Waterdaughters sing one track on the CD reissue 1999) * Norma Waterson: ''The Very Thought of You'' (1999) * Various Artists: A Tribute to Pete Seeger (Two tracks with Billy Bragg) (199?) * Billy Bragg & Wilco: ''Mermaid Avenue Vol. II'' (2000) * Norma Waterson: ''Bright Shiny Morning'' (2000) * Roger McGuinn: ''Treasures From the

Folk Den Folk Den is a folk music website founded in 1995 by Roger McGuinn, former front man of The Byrds. Hosted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's ibiblio, the site is intended to preserve and promote folk music and offers a new folk son ...

'' (2001) * Oliver Knight: ''Mysterious Day'' (2002) * Jools Holland & Friends: ''Jack O The Green'' (one track) * ''The Big Session Vol. 1'' (2004) * Martin Carthy: ''Waiting for Angels'' (2004) * Paul Weller: Studio 150 (two tracks) (2004) * Salsa Celtica: ''El Camino'' (2006) * Rogue's Gallery: '' Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Shanteys'' (2006) * ''Rubber Folk'' (2006) * The Harry Smith Project: ''Anthology of American Folk Music Revisited'' (2006) *

The Imagined Village The Imagined Village is a folk music project founded by Simon Emmerson of Afro Celt Sound System. It is intended to produce modern folk music that represented modern multiculturalism in the United Kingdom and as such, featured musicians from a ...

: ''The Imagined Village'' (2007) *

Patrick Wolf Patrick Wolf (born Patrick Denis Apps; 30 June 1983) is an English singer-songwriter from South London. Wolf uses a wide variety of instruments in his music, most commonly the ukulele, piano, and viola. He is known for combining electronic samp ...

: ''The Bachelor'' (2009) *

David Rotheray David Rotheray (born 9 February 1963, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England) is an English rock and pop musician, best known for being the lead guitarist for The Beautiful South. Rotheray was born the last of five children. His parents were ...

: ''The Life of Birds'' (2010) *

: ''Empire & Love'' (2010) * Marry Waterson & Oliver Knight: ''The Days That Shaped Me'' (2011) * Marry Waterson & Oliver Knight: ''Hidden'' (2012) * Linda Thompson: ''Won't Be Long Now'' (2013) *

The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican are a British comedy folk and parody band from Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Formed in 2006, they claim to be the hardest working comedy band in the UK, having played over 1200 shows throughout the UK. They ...

: ''Jump Ararnd'' (2013) *

The Rails The Rails is a folk rock band from London, England, composed of husband and wife James Walbourne and Kami Thompson. Thompson and Walbourne first met during the recording sessions for ''Versatile Heart'' by Thompson's mother Linda Thompson in 2 ...

: ''Fair Warning'' (2014) *

: ''The Devil Went Darn To Barnsley'' (2015) *

Songs of Separation Songs of Separation was a music project created in the aftermath of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum to explore through the medium of music ideas of separation. It was organised by double-bass player Jenny Hill and brought together t ...

: ''Songs of Separation'' (2016) * Scott Doonican from

: ''Prince Ali'' (2020) ; DVDs * ''In Search of English Folk Song'' (1997 BBC film directed by

Ken Russell Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films in the main were liberal adaptation ...

) : Fairport Convention, Donovan, Osibisa, Eliza Carthy, The Albion Band, Waterson–Carthy, Edward II. : Reissued on DVD in 2008, but for Region 1 only ;Topic Records 70 year anniversary boxed set ''

Three Score and Ten ''Three Score and Ten: A Voice to the People'' is a multi-CD box set album issued by Topic Records in 2009 to celebrate 70 years as an independent British record label. The album consists of a hardback book containing the seven CDs and a paper ...

'' issued in 2009 Carthy appears a number of times *''Anglicana'' is one of the albums. *"Worcester City" from ''Anglicana'' is track eleven on the seventh CD. with Ben Ivitsky *"Two Tears" from ''Dreams of Breathing Underwater'' is track six on the sixth CD. As part of Waterson–Carthy *Waterson:Carthy is one of the albums. *"We Poor Labouring Men" from ''Broken Ground'' is track twenty one on the sixth CD.

References

External links

* – official site * – official site – now redirects to a gaming site * *
Eliza Carthy
interview about her latest work, September 2008
''Dreams Of Breathing Underwater''
BBC online review

review in ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

''
''Dreams Of Breathing Underwater''
review in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Carthy, Eliza 1975 births Living people 21st-century English singers 21st-century English women singers 21st-century violinists Blue Murder (folk group) members English fiddlers English folk musicians English folk singers Members of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Fyling Hall School People from Scarborough, North Yorkshire Topic Records artists Warner Records albums Waterson–Carthy members