Elizabeth Stewart, from Mintlaw, is one of Scotland ’s foremost ballad singers, who learnt her art from her family, especially her aunt, Lucy Stewart (1901-1982). She is a member of the Fetterangus Stewarts, a family steeped in the oral traditions of the Travelling People. Elizabeth is a gifted player of Scottish traditional music on the piano and,like her mother, Jean, played in a country-dance band.
Extract from the sleevenotes of the Elizabeth Stewart CD 'Binnorrie' (Traveller Traditions of North-East Scotland No. 1.) written by Alison McMorland....
"She was born on 13th May 1939 in the home of her grandma 'Auld Betty', 14 South Street (now Duke Street), Fetterangus, in the Buchan district of Aberdeenshire. From the earliest age she was surrounded by family music and song, and steeped in the lore and song of the cultural 'treasure house' of the North-East. Her grandparents' 'settled' home was a working croft, consisting of two large cornfields ....and a large piece of land at the back and side of their house. This was used as a camping ground by Travellers, where music would be a natural part of their social activity. The Stewarts were noted for their music: 'They were like a magnet' drawing fellow Travellers to the area. Elizabeth's grandparents had a family of ten sons and four daughters, all of whom followed in the footsteps of their forebears as pipers, pipe majors, fiddlers, accordionists, whistle players and drummers, and as Elizabeth recalls, 'Everyone of them knew the songs and ballads'".
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