About Veteran

The first release on the Veteran Label was in 1987 and was on cassette only. The label was then known as Veteran Tapes.

In 1993 the first CD compilation was released: VTC1CD 'Stepping it Out!' which included a track from each of the first twenty-five cassette releases.

Singers: Hubert Freeman, Ted Chaplin and Tony Harvey with John Howson (standing) enjoying a drink in an Ipswich pub before appearing on BBC Radio Suffolk, 1990. Photo: East Anglian Daily Times

These first cassettes concentrated on the recordings made by John Howson in Suffolk but they were followed by some important, previously unreleased, material recorded by the eminent collector Mike Yates. John then started recording in many parts of England where it was said that traditional music had died out. Not so! And a fascinating collection of recordings was made which is now housed in the British Library, National Sound Archive.  

 In 1995 Veteran was the first label to release, on CD, new recordings of traditional English singing - VT131CD ‘When the May is All in Bloom’

Bob Lewis, Bob Copper, Louie Fuller, Gordon Hall, Ron Spicer and John Copper  at  the launch of 'When the May is all in Bloom' held at  the Central Club, Peacehaven,1995.  Photo: John Howson

After releasing 40 albums on cassette, including four doubles, all the production is now on CD. There are now over  twenty CDs in this catalogue featuring some of the best and most interesting traditional music and singing from both England and Ireland including: songs and melodeon music from the label's home county of Suffolk, country dance and stepdance music from remote Dartmoor villages, classic traditional singing from Sussex as well as  fine examples from the great Northern Irish singing traditions.

Antrim singer and tin whistle player John Kennedy receives a framed copy of  his CD 'The Girls along the Road' during the album launch at the Ennistymon Singing Weekend, Co. Clare 1999.  Photo source: Unknown

Many are newly commissioned recordings, whilst others are digitally cleaned archival recordings, some dating back over sixty years. The back catalogue has not been forgotten: in addition to straightforward re-releases there are also compilations from the Veteran archive.

Jason Rice, Rob Murch, John Howson, Gareth Kiddier and Mark Bazeley launching  'Moor Music' at the Dartmoor Folk Festival, 2000. Photo: Alan Quick

In the next year we have planned: three CDs of newly recorded material. two CDs of archival recordings, and four CDs of material from our back catalogue with material that has only been available on cassette. Watch this space!

Veteran Mail Order

Our Mail Order service was originally set up to market the Veteran Label. Several customers commented that it was a shame that other small (and  not so small) esoteric labels didn't provide a similar service.

We then decided to provide such a service and we are now the first stop for buying CDs of real English, Irish and Scottish traditional music and singing as well as books and videos on the subject and Compilation CDs from all three countries.

Our shopping cart is now operational and you can now pay using HSBC Secure ePayments, a totally secure direct link to our merchant bank which has no third party intervention.