Steve Passfield (36th CMAA Instrumentalist of the Year) & award winning songwriter Kathryn Jones were recently acknowledged at the Australian Celtic Music – Triquetra Awards held during the Australian Celtic Festival in Glen Innes. Passfield, a seasoned musician/producer was gracious in his acceptance of the Triquetra Ambassador Award.
With tours to Europe, Germany and most recently New Caledonia for St Patrick’s celebrations, Steve is a perfect recipient of this coveted award, which pays honour to those who carry on the Celtic tradition through music, dance or performance by actively weaving it into the fabric of modern Australian society. Steve was stuck for words for once: “Wow, I can hardly speak, this is such an honour” as He delivered His acceptance speech on stage to a packed Glen Innes Services Club.
Hometown boy Darren Coggan MC’d the night and shook Steve’s hand in congratulations.
He also received the gong for “Celtic Producer of the Year” in the Australian Celtic Music Awards with the infectious album he produced for Northern Rivers songwriter Kathryn Jones.
Jones embraced the luck of the Irish on the night as she joyously accepted the Wendy Watts Best New Celtic Talent Award.
Although Jones has been moving in the Australian country music scene she says: “We always believed in the European songs, some call them “Gypsy” from the album Lil Gypsy, and wanted to share them with different audiences. I am so very grateful they’ve found a home in the Australian Celtic community”.
Steve wrote the nominated song Gypsy on the Wrong Side of the World for the album, after discovering Kathryn’s European roots and her restless gypsy soul. She really is a Gypsy influenced by those Celts who moved east to places like Romania & Turkey.
Only a few months ago, In January, the two homegrown Macleay Valley musicians were awarded the Australian Country Music People’s Choice Award for Best Vocal/Music Event as well as receiving a Brumby Award for Best Collaboration at the 2016 Tamworth Country Music Festival.
Jones was also a 3 times finalist in the Tamworth Songwriters Associations TSA Awards during the festival.
With appearances coming up at Ballina Coastal Festival, Slim Dusty in Kempsey, Norma O’Hara- Murphy’s Bony Mountain Folk Festival & the Texas Roundup the pair are looking forward to taking there musical melting pot far and wide.
The song “Gypsy on the Wrong Side of The World” is on CRS 185, Track 14
Back row – Murphy’s Pigs, Darren Coggan, Kathryn Jones, Carmel Newman, Col Lute (2016 Celtic Roll of Honour Inductee) Sarah Lynn Front row – Karen Armstrong (Representing Celtic Dance Winners), Steve Passfield (2016 Triquetra Ambassador recipient), Raelene Watson (2016 Triquetra recipient), Fay Binns (2016 Triquetra Achiever recipient)