Marc Ellington

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Marc Ellington
Birth nameMarc Floyd Ellington
Born(1945-12-16)16 December 1945
Stoneham, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died17 February 2021(2021-02-17) (aged 75)
Aberdeenshire, Scotland
GenresSinger-songwriter
Instrument(s)Guitar, bagpipes
LabelsPhilips, B&C, Transatlantic

Marc Floyd Ellington

folk-rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and bagpiper. He recorded in Britain in the late 1960s and 1970s, and became active in conservation work in Scotland, restoring his home at Towie Barclay Castle
, Aberdeenshire.

Early life

The son of a radio broadcaster, Ellington was born in Stoneham, Massachusetts, U.S., close to Boston.[1][2] (Some sources wrongly give his birthplace as Boston, Lincolnshire, England.) In the early 1960s, he played in a folk group, The Highwaymen, in Eugene, Oregon.[3]

Move to Britain

He moved to Britain to

US Army induction papers to Canon John Collins in what he described as "a symbolic gesture in seeking the sanctuary of the Church".[7]

A singer-songwriter and guitarist, Ellington made his first recordings in London for

Peggy Day". Several Dylan songs alongside others by Tim Hardin, Al Stewart, Phil Ochs and John Martyn were included on Ellington's debut LP, Marc Ellington, released in 1969, which contained arrangements by Johnny Arthey. He also provided backing vocals on Fairport Convention's third album, Unhalfbricking, in 1969, and appeared on former Fairport Convention member Ian Matthews' debut solo album Matthews' Southern Comfort.[8][9]

Ellington recorded his second solo album, Rains/Reins of Changes in 1971, for the

Ampex Records. This time, the album featured mainly his own songs, and most featured members of Fairport Convention. He then returned to the Philips label for two further albums, A Question of Roads (1972) and Restoration (1974). His final solo album, Marc Time, was issued by Transatlantic Records in 1975.[8] Marc Time was also the name of a folk music series presented by Ellington on Grampian Television in the 1970s.[10]

He became a

Cropredy Festival.[9] In later years he performed in local Scottish clubs, and to help promote tourism in Scotland.[4]

Conservation work in Scotland

He developed close ties with Scotland – he played bagpipes on recordings, and dedicated one track to the National Trust for Scotland.[8] In the late 1960s, he and his wife Karen bought Towie Barclay Castle, near Turriff in Aberdeenshire, which had fallen into "a desperate state of disrepair".[12] The restoration, which was financed by Ellington's music work, took several years to complete, and won a Saltire Award in 1973.[12][1] Ellington and his wife and family continued to live in the castle. In 2017, he said:

When Karen and I decided to restore Towie Barclay it hadn’t been lived in for 200 years, it was nothing but a ruin when we started work in 1969. There was ivy everywhere but we had a vision and we’ve stayed true to it, we were unlucky enough not to have pictures and plans of what the castle used to be like and the restoration process took us four years. I am passionate about the history and heritage of Scotland and in particular Aberdeenshire which is very dear to my heart, there are moments when I sit here and look around in wonder. We tried to conserve and restore the features of the original building and although we made alterations for contemporary living we kept that side to a minimum. I feel very inspired here and although I don't feel any ghostly presence I can imagine what went on. When I first saw Towie Barclay I saw not what it was but what it could be – it was a ruin desperately in need of restoration.[13]

Later, Marc and Karen Ellington took over

Lairdship of the villages of Gardenstown and Crovie,[14] and the Tomnaverie stone circle, one of the recumbent stone circles characteristic of Northeast Scotland.[12]

Marc Ellington was awarded an honorary degree from the

National Galleries of Scotland (2002–2010). He set up the Scottish Traditional Skills Training Centre.[1]

In 2015, he led a project to erect a

Prince of Wales.[15] A keen sailor, he also commentated at the annual Portsoy Small Boats Festival.[1]

Awards and honours

Death

Marc Ellington developed a serious heart condition, and died on 17 February 2021.[1]

Discography

Albums

  • Marc Ellington (Philips, 1969)
  • Rains/Reins of Changes (B&C, 1971)
  • A Question of Roads (Philips, 1972)
  • Restoration (Philips, 1973)
  • Marc Time (Transatlantic, 1975)

[8]

Publications

  • Craigievar Castle (National Trust for Scotland, 1987)
  • The Lost City: Old Aberdeen (Birlinn, 2008)
  • Scotland's Secret History: The Illicit Distilling and Smuggling of Whisky (Birlinn, 2017)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e David Porter, "Obituary: Dr Marc Ellington, DL, Baron of Towie Barclay", Grampian Online, 20 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021
  2. ^ Department of Public Health, Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. Massachusetts Vital Records Index to Births, Vol. 136, p. 72
  3. ^ "Highwaymen", Lane County Music History Project. Retrieved 20 February 2021
  4. ^ a b Fred Dellar, Interview with Sandy Roberton, Sound International, June 1978, reprinted at muzines.co.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2021
  5. ^ "BBC One London "Scott Free"". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  6. ^ General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 5c; Page: 409
  7. ^ The Living Church, Vol. 156, 11 February 1968, p. 7
  8. ^
    ISBN 978-1-84697-141-9
    , pp. 397–398
  9. ^ a b c Bruce Eder, Biography, Allmusic.com. Retrieved 20 February 2021
  10. ^ International Broadcasting Authority, 1976 Yearbook, worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved 20 February 2021
  11. ^ London Gazette, 14 December 1979, thegazette.co.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2021
  12. ^ a b c "Historical And Cultural Preservation", Scottish Land & Estates. Retrieved 20 February 2021
  13. ^ a b Ellie House, "The restoration man reveals the magic in Aberdeenshire’s ruins", The Press and Journal, 18 January 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2021
  14. ^ Tamsin Gray, "Work beginning on Crovie almost a year after the landslip", The Press and Journal, 8 August 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2021
  15. ^ "Prince of Wales honours fallen soldiers in rural North-east community", Evening Express, 23 August 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2021
  16. ^ "London Gazette 22 Jan 1985". thegazette.co.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  17. ^ "London Gazette 21 Jan 1988". thegazette.co.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  18. ^ "London Gazette 19 Jan 2004". thegazette.co.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  19. ^ "RIAS Quarterly Summer 2014" (PDF). rias.org.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  20. ^ "University of Aberdeen Graduations". abdn.ac.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2021.

External links

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