Charlotte Greig
Encyclopedia
Charlotte Greig is a British novelist, playwright, singer and song-writer.
, where she learned to sing folk songs. At the age of 10 she was sent to a convent boarding school, St Stephen's College, Broadstairs, Kent, where she learned to play piano. She studied philosophy at Sussex University during the 1970s, a setting recounted in A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy.
called Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow on girl group
s in popular music. It was based on her own book of the same title, published in 1989. In 1991 she wrote another Radio 1 documentary, British Black Music, and went on to present popular music features for BBC Radio 4
's Woman's Hour and Kaleidoscope. By 1998 Greig was working for Mojo
magazine, reviewing folk
and country music
.
and mountain dulcimer, with occasional electronic additions. Her last four albums have been collaborations with guitarist Julian Hayman. Her main influences are Lal Waterson
and Nico
. She appeared on the Topic anthology A Woman's Voice (many other anthologies exist with the same title). In 2007 she curated and contributed to Migrating Bird,a tribute album to the late Lal Waterson released on Honest Jon's record label.
(Tropea), Sweden
(Voltaire), and Turkey
(Sel Yayincilik).
Her non-fiction works include: Icons of Black Music (1999, Brown Partworks); 100 Bestselling Albums of the 1950s (2004, Amber Books); and Play Guitar like the Greats (2006).
She has also written two radio plays, The Confessions (2009) and Against the Grain (2010), both broadcast on BBC Radio 4
, and co-written a musical theatre piece with author Rachel Tresize entitled I Sing of a Maiden (2008). In 2011, she wrote another musical theatre piece, 'Dr Freud's Cabaret', with Anthony Reynolds. It featured songs in the voices of Freud's early patients, including The Wolf Man, The Rat Man, Anna O, and Dora.
Anthologies
Early life
Charlotte Greig's father was in the navy and the family travelled the world. In 1962, she attended Charsfield village school, later described in Ronald Blythe's book AkenfieldAkenfield
Akenfield is a film made by Peter Hall in 1974, based loosely upon the book Akenfield: Portrait of an English Village by Ronald Blythe . It can claim a degree of cult status as a work of rural realism, unusual in relation to East Anglia...
, where she learned to sing folk songs. At the age of 10 she was sent to a convent boarding school, St Stephen's College, Broadstairs, Kent, where she learned to play piano. She studied philosophy at Sussex University during the 1970s, a setting recounted in A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy.
Journalism
After university, Greig worked as a music journalist in print and radio. In 1990 she presented a six-part series on BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
called Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow on girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
s in popular music. It was based on her own book of the same title, published in 1989. In 1991 she wrote another Radio 1 documentary, British Black Music, and went on to present popular music features for BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's Woman's Hour and Kaleidoscope. By 1998 Greig was working for Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
magazine, reviewing folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
.
Music
In the same year, she issued the first of her own albums, Night Visiting Songs. It consisted of four traditional songs, with the rest written by herself. This has set the tone for her subsequent albums: acoustic understated gothic folk music. Unusually, she plays harmoniumHarmonium
A harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
and mountain dulcimer, with occasional electronic additions. Her last four albums have been collaborations with guitarist Julian Hayman. Her main influences are Lal Waterson
Lal Waterson
Lal Waterson 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 and died suddenly in Robin Hood's Bay, of cancer diagnosed only ten days before...
and Nico
Nico
Nico was a German singer, lyricist, composer, musician, fashion model, and actress, who initially rose to fame as a Warhol Superstar in the 1960s...
. She appeared on the Topic anthology A Woman's Voice (many other anthologies exist with the same title). In 2007 she curated and contributed to Migrating Bird,a tribute album to the late Lal Waterson released on Honest Jon's record label.
Writing
In 2007 her first novel, A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy, was published in the UK by Serpent's Tail. It was also published in the US (Other Press), and in translation in ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(Tropea), Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
(Voltaire), and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
(Sel Yayincilik).
Her non-fiction works include: Icons of Black Music (1999, Brown Partworks); 100 Bestselling Albums of the 1950s (2004, Amber Books); and Play Guitar like the Greats (2006).
She has also written two radio plays, The Confessions (2009) and Against the Grain (2010), both broadcast on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
, and co-written a musical theatre piece with author Rachel Tresize entitled I Sing of a Maiden (2008). In 2011, she wrote another musical theatre piece, 'Dr Freud's Cabaret', with Anthony Reynolds. It featured songs in the voices of Freud's early patients, including The Wolf Man, The Rat Man, Anna O, and Dora.
Discography
Albums- Night Visiting Songs (1998)
- Down in the Valley (2000)
- At Llangennith (2001)
- Winter Woods (2003)
- Quite Silent (2005)
Anthologies
- The Executioner's Last Songs (2003)
- A Woman's Voice (2004)
- Migrating Bird (2007)
- John Barleycorn Reborn (2007)
- James Yorkston:When the Haar Rolls in Covers Disc (2008)
- Crow Club: Various Artists (2009)
- Like the Sun Feeds From Flowers (with Anthony Reynolds) (2010)