Robin Morton (24 December 1939 – 1 October 2021) was an Irish

folk musician Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has bee ...

, song collector, broadcaster, record producer, band manager, and founder of the Temple Records label and the Kinmor publishing company.

Early life and education

Morton was born in

County Armagh County Armagh ( ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It is located in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and adjoins the southern shore of Lough Neagh. It borders t ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

on 24 December 1939 and was drawn to music from an early age through his father's interest in jazz, which motivated him to teach himself to play the cornet. After leaving school, he taught mentally handicapped children for which he received training for a year in

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

, where he bought his first guitar. In 1962, he enrolled at Queens University in Belfast to study for a diploma in Social work, and began to attend folk clubs. After graduating, he obtained further qualification as a psychiatric social worker from the

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...

. He then returned to Belfast and began working in child psychiatry. In late 1970, Morton moved to Scotland to study for a PhD at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

, with a focus on the history of the treatment of madness, but he did not complete it.

Career

Morton founded the folk band Boys of the Lough in 1967 along with Tommy Gunn and

Cathal McConnell Cathal McConnell (born 1944) is an Irish musician and singer best known as the mainstay of traditional band The Boys of the Lough, of which he is a founder member. His main instruments are the Irish flute and the tin whistle. Following a lifetim ...

and left the band in 1979, after setting up a folk label called Temple Records in 1978. In 1980, he became manager of the Scottish folk group

Battlefield Band Battlefield Band was a Scottish traditional music group. Founded in Glasgow in 1969, they have released over 30 albums and undergone many changes of lineup. As of 2010, none of the original founders remain in the band. Their last known live per ...

and continued to manage and release material by the band until his death on 1 October 2021. Morton set up

Temple US Records Temple US Records is a record label founded in the late 1970s by Robin Morton (musician), Robin Morton. Morton, a former member of The Boys of the Lough, had already founded Temple in Temple, Midlothian; Temple US is based in Arlington, Massachuset ...

in the 1980s, as well as the publishing company Kinmor Publishing which produces music, and publishes books and sheet music. In 2006, the folk music magazine ''The Living Tradition'' covered Morton's life and career in an 11-page special published in their 66th issue.

Personal life

Morton was married to the glass engraver and musician Alison Kinnaird.

Discography

*''

The Boys of the Lough The Boys of the Lough is a Scottish-Irish Celtic music band active since the 1970s. Early years Their first album, called ''Boys of the Lough'' (1972) consisted of Aly Bain (fiddle), Cathal McConnell (flute), Dick Gaughan (vocals and guitar) a ...

'' (1973) *''Second Album'' (1973) *''Live at Passim's'' (1974) *''Lochaber No More'' (1976) *''The Piper's Broken Finger'' (1976) *''Good Friends ... Good Music'' (1977) *''Wish You Were Here'' (1978)

References

External links

Robin Morton Albums: songs, discography

Robin Morton at allmusic.com
* 1939 births 2021 deaths The Boys of the Lough members Topic Records artists Musicians from County Armagh People from Portadown 20th-century Irish folk musicians 21st-century Irish folk musicians {{ireland-musician-stub