Celtic Music
A Yorkshire-based British publishing, distribution, and record label associated with folk and Celtic music.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Celtic Music is a British independent music company and record-label imprint associated with Yorkshire, England. Its activities have included music publishing, record distribution, recording, production, catalogue ownership, and reissue work, with a particular emphasis on Irish, Scottish, English, and broader Celtic and folk traditions. The name emerged in the 1970s in connection with printed collections of Irish session tunes compiled by Dave Bulmer and Neil Sharpley. It subsequently became associated with recordings and releases by folk performers, traditional musicians, singer-songwriters, instrumentalists, and folk-rock groups. The label’s earliest identity was therefore broader than that of a conventional recording imprint. The initial publishing activity centered on tune books, while the distribution arm, commonly referred to as CM Distribution, handled releases for other labels. From the late 1970s, Celtic Music developed into a recording and record-production operation. The first release generally credited to the label was the self-titled album by Iona in 1978. Over the following decades, its catalogue included new recordings, licensed titles, reissues, compilations, and material acquired from other folk labels. Celtic Music’s catalogue has been linked with a wide range of artists, including Dick Gaughan, Archie Fisher, Kieran Halpin, Vin Garbutt, Clannad, Wolfstone, De Dannan, Liam O’Flynn, Alan Stivell, The Albion Band, Sean McGuire, Tich Frier, and numerous traditional performers. Its releases covered Irish and Scottish folk song, fiddle and piping traditions, ceilidh music, folk-rock, regional music, blues-influenced folk, and archival recordings. The company also acquired catalogues associated with labels such as Leader, Trailer, Rubber Records, Black Crow, Dambuster, Highway, Sweet Folk and Country, Greenwich Village, Mulligan, Broadside, Folk Heritage, and Making Waves. Many of these acquisitions have not been comprehensively reissued. The label was operated by Dave Bulmer from bases in Leeds and Harrogate, with a registered company address at various times in Louth, Lincolnshire. Its documented release activity extended from the 1970s through the early 2000s. The last release of original music identified in the available reference material is Tich Frier’s Shanghaied, issued in 2007. Later catalogue activity is less clear, and the company’s current legal and operating status is uncertain. Since at least the 2000s, some artists whose recordings were held or claimed by the label have criticized the handling of the catalogue. Reported concerns have included limited public availability, a lack of royalty payments or accounting, and disputes over ownership or control of particular recordings. In 2025, Scottish folk singer Dick Gaughan began legal proceedings seeking control of seven albums attributed to Celtic Music. The case reportedly also raised questions about the company’s continuing legal existence. These matters remain important to the label’s present-day profile, although their final legal outcomes are not established in the supplied material.
History
Celtic Music developed from publishing activity connected with Irish traditional music. In the 1970s, Dave Bulmer and Neil Sharpley compiled four books of Irish session tunes. The Celtic Music name is documented in connection with Music from Ireland Volume 2, published in 1976. This early use established the brand in the folk-music publishing field before it became principally recognized as a record label. The organization later expanded into distribution. Its distribution operation, known as CM Distribution, supplied releases for other labels and provided a platform for the company’s subsequent recording activities. From approximately 1978, Celtic Music operated as a recording and production business under the ownership and direction of Dave Bulmer. The company was associated with Leeds and Harrogate in Yorkshire, while a registered address was held for periods in Louth, Lincolnshire. The first release identified with the Celtic Music label was Iona by the band Iona in 1978. This group included Dave Bulmer, George Ormiston, Gordon Tyrrall, and Tony Wilson; it should not be confused with the later Christian or contemporary Celtic group also known as Iona. Celtic Music’s early catalogue expanded through the 1980s with releases by performers such as Tom Napper and Alistair Russell, Eric Bogle, Archie Fisher, Kieran Halpin, Dick Gaughan, Vin Garbutt, Barbara Dickson, and other artists working in folk, traditional, and singer-songwriter styles. The label also issued recordings connected with Irish and Scottish instrumental traditions. Its catalogue included fiddle music, piping, ceilidh material, regional song, and ensemble recordings. Some titles were original productions, while others were reissues or licensed releases originating with labels and companies outside Celtic Music. The company’s distribution and catalogue strategy gave it access to recordings from a broad network of specialist folk businesses. A major part of Celtic Music’s historical significance lies in its acquisition of back catalogues. When other folk labels were sold on, Celtic Music acquired material associated with Leader, Trailer, Rubber Records, Black Crow, Dambuster, Highway, Sweet Folk and Country, Greenwich Village, Mulligan, Broadside, Folk Heritage, and Making Waves. These acquisitions brought older British, Irish, and international folk recordings under a common catalogue umbrella. However, the available reference material indicates that much of this material was not subsequently reissued, limiting its accessibility to listeners and researchers. During the late 1980s and 1990s, the label continued to release both new and archival material. Its catalogue included artists and projects such as Clannad, The Albion Band, De Dannan, Wolfstone, Liam O’Flynn, Sean McGuire, Afterhours, and traditional musicians from Ireland, Scotland, and England. The change from LP catalogue numbers to CD releases is visible in the CMCD series, which became a significant channel for reissues and new releases. Celtic Music also issued singles and extended-play formats, including releases by Dick Gaughan, Kieran Halpin, Bernie Parry, Tim Wood, Shaun Davey and Rita Connolly, and Aiden Forde. The company’s documented release history continued into the 2000s, though at a lower level than in earlier decades. Later catalogue entries included work by Josephine Keegan, Mick Coyne, and Tich Frier. The last identified release of original music was Tich Frier’s Shanghaied in 2007. Other releases around the same period were reissues of older Broadside material, including titles associated with The Fureys and Bob Stewart and with The High Level Ranters and Martyn Wyndham-Read. From at least the 2000s onward, the label became the subject of criticism from some artists whose recordings were held or claimed by it. The reported complaints concerned the limited availability of recordings, missing or inadequate royalty payments and accounts, and uncertainty about ownership rights. These disputes reflected wider tensions in the independent music sector involving historical contracts, catalogue transfers, rights administration, and the economics of reissuing specialist recordings. In 2025, Dick Gaughan reportedly initiated legal action concerning seven albums claimed by Celtic Music. The proceedings were described as seeking control of the recordings and as questioning whether the company continued to exist as a legal entity. The supplied sources do not establish the final result. Accordingly, while Celtic Music remains historically important as a folk-music label and catalogue holder, its current legal status and operational condition should be treated as uncertain.
- 2025
Legal dispute over catalogue control
[1]Dick Gaughan reportedly began proceedings concerning seven albums attributed to Celtic Music and questions surrounding the company’s legal status.
- 2007
Last identified original-music release
[1]Tich Frier’s Shanghaied is identified as the label’s last release of original music in the supplied reference material.
- 2001
Josephine Keegan and Tich Frier releases
[1]The catalogue included Josephine Keegan’s Lifeswork and Tich Frier’s You Are Here compilation.
- 1994
Wolfstone titles appear in the catalogue
[1]Celtic Music listed releases by Scottish folk-rock group Wolfstone, including Wolfstone and Wolfstone II.
- 1991
CD catalogue becomes prominent
[1]The CMCD series included releases by Liam O’Flynn, De Dannan, Jean-Pierre Rasle, and other traditional and folk artists.
- 1986
Catalogue broadens through reissues and group recordings
[1]The label issued titles involving Archie Fisher and Barbara Dickson, Clannad, and other established folk and Celtic performers.
- 1983
Dick Gaughan joins the documented catalogue
[1]Celtic Music released Gaughan’s A Different Kind Of Love Song, later followed by further Gaughan albums and singles.
- 1980
Expansion of folk and traditional catalogue
[1]The catalogue included releases by Eric Bogle, Norman Stewart and Janice Clark, Shegui, and other Irish and Scottish folk performers.
- 1978
First identified Celtic Music record release
[1]The label issued Iona, the self-titled album by the earlier folk group featuring Dave Bulmer, George Ormiston, Gordon Tyrrall, and Tony Wilson.
- 1976
Celtic Music name appears in Irish tune-book publishing
[1]The name is documented in connection with Music from Ireland Volume 2, part of a set of Irish session-tune books compiled by Dave Bulmer and Neil Sharpley.
Products and positioning
An independent specialist label and catalogue operator focused on British, Irish, Celtic, and international folk music, combining original production with distribution and archival reissue activity.
Vinyl and album releases · 1978
CM album series
The CM series was the label’s principal album numbering system during its LP-era activity. It covered original recordings, reissues, licensed material, and compilations across Irish, Scottish, English, and broader folk traditions. Documented artists include Iona, Eric Bogle, Archie Fisher, Kieran Halpin, Dick Gaughan, Vin Garbutt, Clannad, and The Albion Band.
Compact disc releases · 1991
CMCD series
The CMCD series represented Celtic Music’s compact-disc catalogue and included both new releases and reissues. It preserved material from traditional Irish and Scottish performers while also carrying folk-rock and singer-songwriter titles. Documented examples include releases by De Dannan, Wolfstone, Liam O’Flynn, Afterhours, Tich Frier, and Josephine Keegan.
Singles and extended-play releases · 1981
Celtic Music singles
The label issued a small documented series of 7-inch and 12-inch singles. These included recordings by Bernie Parry, Tim Wood, Dick Gaughan, Kieran Halpin, Shaun Davey and Rita Connolly, and Aiden Forde. The singles extended the label beyond album-oriented folk publishing and provided individual tracks for radio and retail distribution.
Catalogue and archival reissues
Acquired folk-label catalogues
Celtic Music acquired or became associated with catalogues from several specialist folk labels, including Leader, Trailer, Rubber Records, Black Crow, Dambuster, Highway, Sweet Folk and Country, Greenwich Village, Mulligan, Broadside, Folk Heritage, and Making Waves. The holdings included historical British, Irish, and international folk recordings, although many titles have not been reissued.
Controversies
2025
Dick Gaughan catalogue-control lawsuit
Dick Gaughan reportedly brought legal proceedings seeking control of seven albums claimed by Celtic Music. The dispute also reportedly questioned whether the company continued to exist legally. The outcome is not established in the supplied material.
Artist complaints about catalogue administration
Since at least the 2000s, some artists associated with Celtic Music recordings have criticized the catalogue’s administration. Reported issues include limited availability, alleged failures in royalty payment and accounting, and disputes over ownership of particular recordings.
Brand decisions
1978
Move from publishing and distribution into recordingStrategyBackground
After beginning with Irish session-tune publishing and distribution work, Celtic Music developed a direct recording and production operation.
Action taken
The company issued its own recordings, beginning with Iona, while continuing to distribute and handle specialist folk catalogues.
Aftermath
This established the label as a producer and catalogue owner rather than solely a music publisher or distributor.
- Acquisition of independent folk-label cataloguesM&A
Background
Specialist folk labels and their catalogues were sold or transferred over time, creating opportunities for consolidation.
Action taken
Celtic Music acquired or became responsible for catalogues associated with a number of folk labels, including Leader, Trailer, Broadside, Mulligan, and Folk Heritage.
Aftermath
The company became linked to a substantial historical folk catalogue, although much of the acquired material was not reissued.
Sources2 sources
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