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.
The Winter It Is Past
Jean Redpath Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and the summer's come at last
and the small birds sing on every tree.
The hearts of these are glad,
but mine is very sad.
For my lover has parted from me.
The rose upon the briar,
by the water running clear.
their little loves are blest,
ah their little hearts at rest.
But my lover is parted from me.
The first stanza of Jean Redpath's song, The Winter It Is Past, is setting up a contrast between the joy of renewal in nature and personal heartbreak. The winter has come to an end, and the summer season has arrived, with small birds singing in every tree. All of nature is experiencing the joy and renewal of summer, but the singer's heart is very sad because her lover has parted from her. She does not experience the same renewal and joy as the birds and natural surroundings but rather loneliness and sadness.
The second stanza continues to explore this contrast. The singer talks about a rose bush by the water that may have charms for the linnet and the bee, and they are able to find happiness in their little loves, but her lover is parted from her, and her heart is at unrest. The imagery of the rose is a metaphor for the singer's life, with the briar representing the troubles and obstacles and the rose representing the love she and her lover had. It is a poignant way of showing the impermanence of love and how everything can change suddenly.
In summary, The Winter It Is Past is a melancholic song that explores the contrast between the joy and renewal of summer and the heartbreak of a lover's parting. The singer's loneliness is intensified by the beauty of nature that surrounds her, making her feel left behind and disconnected from the world.
Line by Line Meaning
The winter it is past,
The long, cold season has come to an end,
and the summer's come at last
Now, the warm and sunny season has arrived,
and the small birds sing on every tree.
All around, the cheerful chirps of small birds can be heard,
The hearts of these are glad,
The birds' hearts are filled with joy,
but mine is very sad.
However, my heart is full of sorrow,
For my lover has parted from me.
Since my beloved has left me, I am brokenhearted,
The rose upon the briar,
Although the rose still blooms on the prickly bush,
by the water running clear.
Next to the clear, flowing water,
May have charms for the linnet and the bee,
The sweet fragrance and beauty it holds may captivate the little birds and insects,
their little loves are blest,
Their small romances are blessed,
ah their little hearts at rest.
And their contented hearts are at peace.
But my lover is parted from me.
Despite the beauty around me, I cannot find happiness as my lover is no longer by my side.
Writer(s): Bill Mcarthur, Robert Burns
Contributed by Elizabeth F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.