Margaret Bradford - Australian singer/songwriter

Bindi-eye bop book and cd

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new Bindi-eye Bop
(sixteen singable songs for Aussie kids)
BOOK/CD

Margaret has launched her book/CD, bindi-eye bop . . . 16 Aussie fun songs to set kids jumping on trampolines, dodging bindi-eyes, caring for the environment, water conservation, echidnas, bilbies, dinosaurs, blowflies, and cockatoos - all tastefully illustrated in brilliant colour by talented local artist Janet Selby.

“Punchy and fun....“Margaret puts her considerable song-writing talents to good use in creating humorous, up-beat, thought provoking, green songs for children of all ages..Songs with lots of repetition about bilbies, bindi-eyes and blow flies, cockatoos and cockroaches, echidnas and dinosaurs.

Children are encouraged to sing along to rap, pop and blues with such themes as, water conservation, keeping our beautiful earth pollution free .. ..an excellent source of new material for singers and teachers keen to highlight the importance of environmental issues”
- from ‘Buzz’ the UK music journal.

Margaret believes all children have a natural love of and affinity with their natural environment. Many of her songs are therefore directed at such themes as recycling, pollution and water conservation in light-hearted/fun mode!! Songs to set little and big kids giggling, jiggling and jumping on their Trampoline, dodging bindies in Bindi-eye Bop ... songs about Cockatoos, (what noisy characters they are) ... Edna the Echidna, (what a brave little mum is she) blowflies, (forever swatting and swishing that bloomin' 'blowy') dinosaurs (who wants to be a paleontologist? or meet a tyrannosaurus rex??)and "Yum! Yum! chocolate Easter bilbies (a bilby is an endangered, native rabbit-sized marsupial of the Australian desert). Rod McDonald springs the whole thing into life with concertina, button accordion harmonica, whistles and saxophone. Margaret's daughter, Sonya Bradford, a natural musician, plays lead keyboards, sings strong harmonies and fills out choruses as well as singing solo on Dig Away. Jeff Cripps, producer and engineer, gets the songs jogging along with some great sound effects, keyboards, drum and bass guitar. Allan Dean plays jaw harp ... that springy boing! boing! sound.

$25 (incl pp)

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Merryweather

Merryweather
2010

Merryweather are the acoustic folk duo recently formed by long time solo singers, Margaret Essex and Margaret Bradford.

Warm, vibrant voices complement each other with delightful harmonies singing traditional and contemporary songs.
Their uplifting harmonies reflect an infectious personality and onstage energy.

If two strong voices joined together in weaving harmony is your idea of heaven, you're going to love Merryweather.

Margaret Bradford and Margaret Essex celebrate their love of acoustic music with an original blend of fine melody and thoughtful lyrics.

$25 (+$2 pp in Australia)

Conflict of Cultures
1990

Here Margaret explores the difficult intersection of white and black value systems which has given rise to so much anger and pain. Approved and highly recommended by the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group. Released as a cassette with research/guide booklet for Aboriginal Studies and used by schools and tertiary institutions around Australia and beyond. Collectively the songs ... illustrate the clash of world views and cultures that caused so much suffering and alienation in Australia since the settlement/invasion ... of 1788.

$10 (+$2 pp in Australia)

Freddie's Daughter
1995

Fourteen songs; half of them her own material plus a selection of contemplative pieces by other writers,....Henry Lawson, Wendy Joseph, Judy Small, Fay White ... many of which reflect Margaret's keen sensitivity to suffering, injustice and humankind's destruction of the natural environment. Self -Propelled (the bicycle song), Who'd Be A Secretary and World at Your Fingertips (our push-button computer era) ... some delightful satire here! Kilkelly, Last Leviathan ...etc. Colourful, well-honed backing by popular Australian group, Settlers Match.

$10 (+$2 pp)

Memories of Gran
1996

Margaret has created here some wonderfully evocative images and delightful anecdotes that will transport you back into Australia's past...... the settlement and history of the dairy-farming area of northern NSW around Coffs Harbour. In this special feature inspired by the stories of both her mother and her grandmother, Margaret describes in story and song some of the traditions and customs that help to to make up our rich heritage. Recorded by ABC Radio for the program "Songs and Stories of Australia" in 1994. The program received excellent listener response. Gill Rees on synthesiser, keyboards, saxophone & guitar, Sonia Bennett on guitar and Lilo Blyton on violin provide some delightful accompaniment.

$10 (+$2 pp)

Simply Psaltery
1997

Margaret sings some of your old classic favourites here, with her bowed psaltery playing a combination of melody and harmony accompaniment. Some guitar backing by Margaret, along with some flute and strings on synthesiser from Jeff Cripps, adds depth and richness to this unique instrument. A delightfully sweet sound, this bowed psaltery was made by Margaret's husband, Allan Dean. This is a first ... as far as Margaret knows the triangular shaped, chromatic bowed psaltery has not been recorded as a feature instrument to date. Songs include:
The Ash Grove (Welsh)
Sally Gardens, Sumer is icumen in [13thC]
Linden Lea, Farewell to Tarwathie, The Cuckoo [16thC] (English)
The Trout (German)
Si Beg Si Mor & Planxty Irwin (Irish)
Kojo No Tsuki (Japanese)
The ThreeDrovers and The Silver Stars (Australian)

$10 (+$2 pp)

Ten Years On
2007

A collection of Margaret’s favourites which contains all those songs you’ve been asking for over the ten years since Margaret made her last CD, “Bindi-eye Bop” for kids. Margaret’s sixth recording, “Ten Years On”, is a collection of songs by talented song writers … Bernard Carney, Enda Kenny, John Warner, Bruce Watson, Denis Kevans and many others … 14 tracks in all … artists who provided backing on Margaret’s CD such as Paul Buckberry on guitar, Jim Stubbs on harmonica, Johnny Spillane on whistle and Marcus Holden on Fiddle.

$20 (+$2 pp)