Redpath was born in Edinburgh, to musical parents. Her mother knew many Scots songs and passed them on to all four of her daughters; her father played the hammer dulcimer. She was raised in Fife, Scotland, and later returned to Edinburgh, taking medieval studies at the university. Hamish Henderson was working in the School of Scottish Studies and Redpath took a keen interest in the archive of tapes and discs of music and songs. To help pay her way through her studies, she worked as a driving instructor and undertaker's assistant. She learned about 400 songs, together with the oral folklore that went with them.
In March 1961, at the age of 24, she went to the United States. Her first performance was in San Francisco. Later she met up with Rambling Jack Elliott and Bob Dylan in Greenwich Village. The natural warmth and power of her voice brought her to perform at Gerde's Folk City. In 1963, following a concert performance, she signed up with Elektra Records. In 1975 she switched to the Philo label. From 1972 to 1976 Jean was artist-in-residence at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. She lectured in folklore and gave talks in schools.
In 1976 Redpath was embarked on a project to record all the songs of Robert Burns. Some being folk songs, some Burns' own compositions, and most a mixture of the two. Twenty-two volumes were planned, but when her collaborator, the composer Serge Hovey died after seven volumes, it came to a premature end. Hovey did the instrumental arrangements for 323 songs, and Redpath felt that no other musician could replace him. The albums won critical praise from around the world. In 1986 she recorded "Lady Nairne," a collection of songs written by Scottish women. She has sensitively reconstructed many songs that might otherwise have been lost.
Between 1974 and 1987, Redpath appeared regularly on Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion" radio show from NPR. She has also appeared on Robert J. Lurtsema's "Morning Pro Musica" from WGBH in Boston.
She has toured throughout the U.S. and to Canada, and played venues in South America, Hong Kong, and Australia, including the Sydney Opera House, and has performed often at the Edinburgh Folk Festival. In 1977, Redpath appeared at a royal banquet at Edinburgh Castle for Queen Elizabeth II, during Royal Jubilee Year. In spite of all her musical success, she has never had formal musical training.
From 1979 Redpath was a lecturer at the University of Stirling, Scotland, occasionally making a sojourn to Wesleyan University. For ten years she gave courses in Scottish Song at the "Heritage of Scotland" Summer School at Stirling University.
She was awarded the MBE, as well as being named a "Kentucky Colonel" by the Governor of Kentucky. A portrait of Redpath by Alexander Fraser hangs in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh.
In 1996 she launched the Burns International Festival.
In 2009, Redpath made an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, singing "Some Kind of Love" by the late John Stewart of the Kingston Trio.
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Jean Redpath Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And by yon garden-green again;
I'll aye ca' in by yon town,
And see my bonie Jean again.
There's nane sall ken, there's nane can guess
What brings me back the gate again,
But she, my fairest faithfu' lass,
I'll aye ca' in, &c.
She'll wander by the aiken tree,
When trystin time draws near again;
And when her lovely form I see,
O haith! she's doubly dear again.
I'll aye ca' in, &c.
The singer in Jean Redpath's song "I'll Aye Ca' In By Yon Town" revels in the anticipation of reuniting with his beloved, Bonie Jean. The first stanza repeats the refrain "I'll aye ca' in by yon town, and by yon garden-green again," expressing the singer's deep desire to return to the familiar setting of their love. The words "I'll aye ca' in" translate to "I'll always call in", emphasizing the singer's persistence and dedication to seeing Jean.
The second verse reflects the singer's realization that no one truly knows why he continues to return to her. But, the singer recognizes that Jean is his "fairest faithfu' lass" - his most beautiful and faithful girl - whom he will secretly meet again. In the third verse, the singer imagines Jean waiting by the "aiken tree" (oak tree) during the time they traditionally rendezvous to see each other, and how much dearer his beloved will feel to him when they meet again.
Overall, the song speaks to the power of devotion and dedication in an enduring love. It celebrates the passion and yearning that can come from being apart from one's beloved, and the sweet anticipation of seeing them once more.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll aye ca' in by yon town,
I will always call in at that town
And by yon garden-green again;
By that green garden once more;
I'll aye ca' in by yon town,
I will always call in at that town
And see my bonie Jean again.
To see my beautiful Jean once more.
There's nane sall ken, there's nane can guess
No one will know, no one can guess
What brings me back the gate again,
What brings me back to this place again
But she, my fairest faithfu' lass,
But she, my most beautiful and faithful girl,
And stownlins we sall meet again.
And secretly we will meet again.
She'll wander by the aiken tree,
She will wander by the oak tree
When trystin time draws near again;
When the appointed time draws near once more;
And when her lovely form I see,
And when I see her lovely figure
O haith! she's doubly dear again.
Oh, she is twice as dear to me again.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ROBERT BURNS, SERGE HOVEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@murryjcohen
Jean;s FIRST album
@fili-tis-petaloudas
And one of her best ones!
@murryjcohen
@@fili-tis-petaloudas Hard to tell. Each album is super.
@fili-tis-petaloudas
@@murryjcohen The Burns ones are also magnificent!
@murryjcohen
@@fili-tis-petaloudas Yes. I have all 7 volumes with Hovey, but I have not heard the re-recordings of them in a more traditional manner. Do you think it is worth getting the re-recordings? What language is your name in? Greek?
@fili-tis-petaloudas
@@murryjcohen Hm, which ones are the re-recordings? I know the 7 volumes and some remastered CDs with the same recordings however. It's Greek, yes, it means "butterfly kiss" - I come from Greece but I live in Edinburgh in the last four years :)
@_chary990
i was just thinking to myself, i should listen to some more traditional Irish music, and low! it be right here!
@fili-tis-petaloudas
I am so happy I found this record, I think it's by far her best, so haunting and the cover art adds eeriness to the feeling. The Rue song may be classified as ghostly feministic folk
@_chary990
yah Rue was a fav from the first listen, along with most of the a cappella tracks, such a sweet voice. I should just expect from now on if i want traditional folk from any culture ill probably find it here
@fili-tis-petaloudas
@@_chary990 Folk is the way! And it's broad and inexhaustible; I'm glad being of service sharing these gems; I found another Jean Redpath record last year, not so eerie as this one, but still very good https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls3dGvt_2n0