Edinburgh Folk Club’s chair, the indefatigable Eberhard ‘Paddy’ Bort died suddenly in Edinburgh on Friday, 17 February 2017, aged 62.
Tributes have been flooding in to EFC acknowledging Paddy’s commitment and enthusiasm for folk, with more details available on the Evening News or TRACS Board member Steve Byrne’s obituary.
Donald Smith, Director of TRACS, states:
“Everyone in the Traditional Arts community has been saddened by the sudden death of Paddy Bort. TRACS would like to extend our heartfelt sympathy to his friends, family and colleagues. We will share information about the commemorations of Paddy’s life and many achievements as it becomes available.”
Edinburgh Folk Club states:
“At the moment there is no further information but we do know that Paddy’s family are making arrangements for his body to be taken home to Germany, which of course means there will be no funeral in Edinburgh, but there are already rumblings – no more than that – of a memorial concert in due course.
“Many folk have described Paddy’s passing as the end of an era which, in the circumstances, is probably quite correct.
“The unexpected news came, to put it mildly, as an enormous shock to everyone and particularly to those who worked with him on various projects, both academic and cultural.”
When there is further information to disseminate EFC will email club members and the club’s wider circulation list. The next Edinburgh FC gig (Wed coming, 22 Feb, 8pm – Rachel Hair Trio) will take place as planned. The Wee Folk Club which Paddy operated from The Royal Oak was cancelled yesterday (19th February) and there will be news relating to the subsequent gigs lined up there in due course.
Picture: Paddy Bort introducing Donald Smith ahead of The Dardanelles performance at TradFest 2014
Farewell to Paddy
Eberhard “Paddy” Bort (1954–2017)
You are invited to the Storytelling Centre
on Tuesday, February 28th from 5 – 6.30 p.m.
to pay tribute to Paddy Bort
who sadly died of heart attack on Feb. 17th, 2017.
As the funeral will be in Germany, this will give folk a chance
to get together and raise a glass, sing a song, and remember
with gratitude all that Paddy shared with us.
We will all miss him!
