Cranford Publications
Cape Breton
Island
Contact
information
Search for references to any tune, book or
recording on this site
Cranford
Pub Search Engine
2019
marked Cranford's
40th Year Publishing
Paul
Cranford receiving the Katherine
McLennan
Award,
an acknowledgement of contribution to
culture and historical preservation on
Cape Breton.
In 1979
Cranford’s work began with a reissue
of a classic 19th century Scottish
compilation, The
Skye
Collection.
Cranford
Publications specializes in Celtic
fiddle music from Cape Breton, Ireland and
Scotland. Proprietor Paul Stewart Cranford
is a fiddler, composer and retired
lightousekeeper well-grounded in the
traditions of music he sells, performs and
arranges.
This
site provides resources for a continuing
tradition by supplying books of music
notation and related
recordings.
The
secure online store has remained more of
less the same since 1999. Working alone,
as time permits I plan to upgrade the
look, feel and functionality of the store
and website evenually making it mobile
friendly. I am also looking at the making
publications available
digitally.
As you
explore the site you will find links to
thousands of tunes. Check out any page
which features a book or CD that interests
you - on most you will find links to
tunes. As CDs go out of print I still post
support material as free, on-screen
musical notation and sound clips or link
to articles, photos and descriptions - all
relating to books and CDs which we make or
have made available in our on-line
store.
Cape
Breton's
Musical Heritage
Our
on-line
store
allows secure credit card purchases for all the
books and recordings we feature. We also take
phone
and mail orders.
SPECIAL
- any eight books - $100
The Cape
Breton Musical Heritage
Series
(currently 9 books) is still being
compiled.
The
Cape Breton Musical Heritage
Series
(links to descriptions of the individual
books)
The Cape
Breton Irish Collection
More than 40
years in the making, still a work in
progress,
this will be the
next book in the series.
More than 750 tunes
Cover photos is Johnny
Wilmot in
the 1950s.
Paul learned
Irish music from Johnny from 1976-92
Select
DVDs from Antigonish Film-maker Peter
Murphy
Buddy
MacMaster
Cape
Breton Island
Step Dancing
instruction
Paul worked as a
lighthousekeeper from 1975-2009. Lighthouses proved
to be an ideal place to research, write and
practice. Working month on - month off, he started
publishing books of fiddle music in 1979 and over
the years has published over a dozen collections.
His final lighthouse posting was
Machias
Seal Island
a bird sanctuary located on the Canadian-US border
in the Bay of Fundy.
Since retiring
from lighthouses, Paul has settled into full-time
life in Cape Breton.
In 2009, he
was artist in residence for The
Celtic Colours International
Festival.
In 2010 he
released a double CD of original music
titled
More Tunes from the
Lighthouse
which contains over 100 previously unrecorded
tunes - soundclips & notation are posted
for every tune!.
In 2011, he
once again worked with Celtic Colours, this time
producing The
Celtic Colours
Collection,
a book of music to celebrate the festival's
first 15 years.
The year,
2013 marked the release of The
Cape Breton Scottish
Collection.
In 2015 he
was appointed The Patron of World Fiddle
Day.
Also in 2015
Paul completed The
Cape Breton Highland
Collection,
a book of Scottish pipe tunes arranged for
fiddlers.
2016- ongoing
project preparing existing collections for
eventual digital releases.
2017 -
Honoured by both The
Gaelic College
& Highland
Village
for documenting and promoting Cape Breton
Island's
rich fiddling tradititon.
2018
- Recipient of The
Katherine McLennan
Award
given jointly by The
Fortress of Louisbourg
Association
(Parks Canada), Cape Breton Regional Library and
CBU (The
Beaton
Institute).
2019 -
present - Compiling and arranging music for
future publications.
If you are
touring Cape Breton during the summer months Paul
lives across the road from Wildfire
Books and Pottery.
Located on the Cabot Trail, the shop also carries a
good supply of the music books and CDs described on
this site.