Mera Royle
Mera Royle | |
|---|---|
 Royle in 2021 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Mera Teresa Royle 9 December 1999[1] Tameside, Greater Manchester, England |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
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| Member of | Scran |
Mera Teresa Royle (born 9 December 1999) is a harpist, violinist and composer from the Isle of Man. She won the 2018 BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award.
Biography
[edit]Royle was born in Greater Manchester and moved to the Isle of Man as a toddler,[2] where she grew up in Maughold. Royle attended Scoill Ree Gorree and completed her A Levels at Ramsey Grammar School.[3] She graduated from Newcastle University.
Royle learned violin at the age of 8[2] and was encouraged to take up harp by her teacher Mike Boulton. She began playing with the youth folk music project Bree, out of which formed the teen folk group Scran. She received lessons from Scottish harpist Rachel Hair.[4]
In 2018, Royle won the Young Folk Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards[5] and released her debut EP The Ballaglass Set,[6] named after Ballaglass Glen. The EP features contributions from Ruth Keggin, Raygie Dolloso and Owen Williams. With the latter two, Royle performed at the Cambridge Folk Festival,[7] Towersey Festival and Fairport's Cropredy Convention.[8][9]
This was followed by Royle's second seven-track release Woven in 2019.[10] Scran also released an album titled Nane.[11] Royle performed at the 2019 Celtic Congress and Festival Interceltique de Lorient.[12] At the latter, she was awarded the Camac Trophy's Third Prize.[13]
Royle contributed to Catch the Sparrow's 2023 EP Winter Flowers.[14] She and Sarah Mercer won the Arrane son Mannin to represent the Isle of Man at the 2024 Pan Celtic Song Contest.[15] Royle appeared on Gef's 30 under 30 list from the Isle of Man Arts Council.[16]
In media
[edit]Royle was the subject of a 2019 short documentary titled Mera directed by Patrick Crellin and Bethany White.[17]
Discography
[edit]- The Ballaglass Set (2018)
- Woven (2019)
References
[edit]
- ↑ Mera Royle (9 December 2018). "nineteen 🥂". Retrieved 15 July 2026 – via Instagram.
- 1 2 "Mera Royle". Celtic Life. 21 January 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ↑ "Island profile: Young musican [sic] of the year Mera Royle is a big Harry Potter fan". Isle of Man Today. 6 May 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ↑ "An unexpected success for a young and talented musician". Isle of Man Today. 14 April 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ↑ "Folk award 'a big surprise' for Isle of Man harpist". BBC News. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
- ↑ Sebitz, Illiam (15 August 2018). "Mera Royle: The Ballaglass Set". 5 Finger. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ↑ "Crowds flock to watch Mera Royle". Manx Radio. 5 August 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
- ↑ "Mera enjoys a successful summer of festival gigs". Isle of Man Today. 18 August 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
- ↑ Whalley, Johnny (18 September 2018). "Fairport's Cropredy Convention 2018 – Live Review & Tribute to Maart Allcock". Klof Mag. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
- ↑ "Mera Royle weaves her way through music". Isle of Man Today. 31 August 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ↑ Whalley, Johnny (22 March 2019). "Scran: Nane". Klof Mag. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ "Mera Royle on Lorient". Manx Radio. 6 August 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ↑ "Results of the 12th Camac Trophy, Lorient Interceltic Festival". Camac Harps. 22 August 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ↑ "CATCH THE SPARROW – EP Review: "Winter Flowers"". Eclectic Music Lover. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- ↑ Granger, Anthony (13 January 2024). "Isle of Man: Sarah Mercer and Mera Royle Win Arrane son Mannin 2024". Eurovoix. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
- ↑ "Mera Royle - Gef 30 Under 30 Creativity Winner". Isle of Man Arts Council. 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ↑ "MERA - A Short Documentary by Dark Avenue". Manx Music. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2026.