Entries are welcome from amateur, professional and student artists, aged 18 and over, who are linked to Shetland by birth, education or residency.

This year’s theme is Landscape.

In addition to the Shetland Open a Bairns Open will run concurrently in the Lower Gallery.

For information on how to enter work into the Open see:
Open 2012 Call for Entries details (PDF)

The Shetland Young Promoters Group, in conjunction with SIC Youth Services and Shetland Arts’ ‘Band Camp’ project, is hosting ‘Rocktober’ – a gig featuring both some of Shetland’s best young bands and previously unheard collaborations created at the Band Camp event.

The gig will take place on Saturday the 22^nd of October in Isleburgh’s Room 16. It will run from 7:30pm till 11pm with doors opening at 7pm. The gig will feature a wide range of musical styles from indie pop to heavy metal from bands including Automatic Chicken, Metcarpal Love, Organised Chaos and Comet Conspiracy.

The collaborations will be a result of Youth Services and Shetland Art’s Band Camp which will be running over the same weekend. A group of young musicians will be taking up residence in the Bridge End centre in Burra on Friday night and, under the guidance of tutors Bryan Peterson, Fraser Mouat, Stevie Hook and Gary Smith, aim to write songs ready to perform at the Rocktober gig the following evening and record them the next day. The camp will provide a great opportunity for the young musicians to experiment with musical styles they wouldn’t normally pursue and to receive advice and encouragement from respected and experienced musical talents from around the isles.

Eilidh Jones, current chair of the Young Promoters, said: ‘The event will allow accomplished musicians to pass on their skills and allow the younger generation to benefit from their experiences. Rocktober, the culmination of the efforts of the bands throughout the weekend, will showcase all the different talents of this dynamic group of young artists.’

Bryan Peterson, Shetland Arts Music Development Officer and one of the Band Camp tutors, said, “It’ll be an intensive weekend for the young musicians – writing, arranging, rehearsing, performing and recording brand new material, but I’m sure they’ll rise to the challenge!”

Rocktober will be the third gig organised by the Young Promoters this year, following the success of their Talent Tournament in March in which young bands competed for the chance to perform at the Young Promoters Tall Ships Showcase in July.

Tickets for Rocktober cost £4 either from the Shetland Box Office or on the door. All ages are welcome and the group wishes to stress that the event will be alcohol free.

There will also be a free masterclass where people can learn about the group’s music and instruments in the Garrison Theatre at 3pm on the Saturday afternoon.

* Svara Kanti

Svara-Kanti brings together four acclaimed masters of Indian and Western music to play evocative ancient folk music re-imagined: virtuosic Indian classical traditions, the finest Bollywood film music (including compositions by Slumdog Millionaire Oscar winner AR Rahman) and new Indian music, all reinterpreted with contemporary Western, classical and jazz influences.

Svara-Kanti consists of Simon Thacker on classical guitar (Park Lane Group Award winner, RPS Award nominee, “startling virtuosity“: The Scotsman); incredible Carnatic South Indian violinist Jyotsna Srikanth, who has recorded over 200 Bollywood soundtracks and is a Trinity College of Music Fellow; internationally renowned tabla player Sarvar Sabri, who has a musical lineage stretching back ten generations to the Royal Court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, and the beautiful voice of London based singer and actress Japjit Kaur. Japjit has performed extensively and written in various Indian languages and styles, including Bollywood, Bhangra and Indian classical, and was Musical Director and vocal coach for the Royal National Theatre’s production of Rafta Rafta.

Prior to the full group performance at each concert, Simon Thacker will also present a solo classical guitar recital.

Svara-Kanti is a virtuosic group of musicians whose members seamlessly blend Indian and Western styles. A taste of the exotic is the perfect antidote to autumnal blues.

The Guardian described Svara-Kantis’s music as “an exuberant virtuoso display” whilst the Glasgow Herald commented on the “marvellous interaction between Thacker and Srikanth …. strikingly intricate, powerful unison playing from all involved.”

Tickets for the concerts at Bigton on 14^th October and the Garrison Theatre on 15^th October, both starting at 7.30pm, are priced at £10 (£8 concessions) and are available from Shetland Box Office, Islesburgh Community Centre, 01595 745 555, or online at www.shetlandboxoffice.org.

Bookings for Saturday’ masterclass can also be made through the Box Office.

The next event in the Guitar Season will be the Shetland ‘Guitar Hero’ concert at the Town Hall on Saturday 19th November.

Biographies

Simon Thacker is Head of Guitar at Napier University and Honorary Fellow in Music at the University of Aberdeen. He has been nominated for a Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award and in 2006 was a winner of the 50th Park Lane Group Awards, resulting in his acclaimed solo Purcell Room debut. Simon has performed in Cuba, the USA, Spain, Malta, France and Belgium, and broadcast on Cuban TV and BBC Radio 3. He is founder of Camerata Ritmata, a unique collaboration with some of the UK’s leading jazz and world musicians, which he composes for. He is also a member of duo ¡Canto vivo! with opera star Claire Debono. In 2009 he led his ground-breaking East/West project The Nava Rasa Ensemble, featuring nine of Europe’s best Indian and Western classical musicians performing new concerti by Nigel Osborne and Shirish Korde, on a prestigious Tune Up tour across the UK.

Japjit Kaur was born in north India surrounded by classical and Bollywood music and dance. She first studied Indian classical music in Haryana at the age of 10 and was awarded a first class division as well as a distinction by the Pracheen Kala Kendra. Since moving to London she has performed extensively and written in various Indian languages and styles, including Bollywood, Bhangra and Indian classical. In 2004 Japjit worked with Flatline Team in collaboration with Motion Pictures on a project called ‘Dilruba’ as a singer-songwriter and an actress. This was also short listed for the LA short film festival. In late 2005 Japjit was appointed as a weekend prime time radio presenter by Panjab Radio and went on to study Hindustani vocals further at the Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan Institute with Smt. Chandrima Misra followed by tuition from Pandit Chiranjib Chakraborty. She has also been studying Qawalli and Sufi music from Ustad Ameer Khan Sahib. Since 2006 she has been working extensively with renowned composer Niraj Chag and was Musical Director and vocal coach for the Royal National Theatre production of Rafta Rafta.

Dr. Jyotsna Srikanth learnt the rudiments of the classical Carnatic music of southern India from her mother from the age of three and gave her first recital when she was just nine. Although she has a profound respect for her heritage and performs in the classical Carnatic style with an impressive combination of emotional expression and masterful technique, she refuses to be bound by tradition. She is also an accomplished Western classical violinist and Jyotsna has played violin for over 200 commercial Indian films and has released many albums internationally. She has received many national and international awards and was  recently conferred a Fellowship in Carnatic Music from Trinity College of Music, London.

Her many notable performances include: Queen Elizabeth Hall; WOMAD; BBC Radio 3; Red Violin Festival (Wales); Cleveland Music Festival; World Trade Auditorium (Singapore); East-West International Music Encounter (Bangalore).

Sarvar Sabri is an internationally renowned tabla player/composer whose versatility and passion for the rich diversity of the world’s musical traditions has spurred him to constantly experiment with other world-class musicians and composers, and to extend the boundaries of his own classical form. Sabri is proficient not only as a soloist but also works with many Indian classical vocalists, instrumentalists and Kathak dancers. He regularly participates in major music festivals held in India. He makes regular appearances at the South Bank, London and has also performed for the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 including the South Bank Show. As a soloist, he has worked with the BCMG in collaboration with composer Judith Weir, Bournemouth Sinfonietta, East of England Orchestra and Sinfonia Baltica. In 2006, he appeared with CBSO and in March 2007, he worked with Viva Sinfonia (Derby). Sabri’s work can be heard on numerous CDs playing with some of the world’s finest musicians.

Information on the awards can be found on the following website, where you can also vote online (Please note that online voting closes at midnight on Tuesday 7th June) – http://www.scottishjazzfederation.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=132:scottish-jazz-awards-2011-voting-now-open&Itemid=1

Shetland Jazz Club have gone from strength to strength over the past two years during a Jazz Development project administered by Shetland Arts and with financial assistance from Creative Scotland.

Jeff said of the nomination, “This is not about me, it is about the spirit that has allowed us to bring well-known jazz musicians to these islands”

“All the musicians we have brought here in the last couple of years have gone back home and raved about the experience of playing in Shetland, their reception at gigs, the hospitality and the warmth of the people”

Bryan Peterson, Shetland Arts Music Development Officer said, “Interest in jazz has seen a real resurgence recently, in no small part due to the tuition provided in schools by brass instructors including Roy Hughson and Jane Morton.”

“Over the course of the two-year jazz development project, the Shetland Jazz Club membership has risen from only a handful in 2009 to over 30 at present, with concerts attendances regularly into the hundreds. It’s great to see the hard work and enthusiasm of Jeff being recognised through the award nomination.”

Several of the other award nominees have a Shetland connection – The Nova Scotia Jazz Band (Early Jazz – Band of the Year 2011 category) played in Shetland in May 2011, Havana Swing (also in the Early Jazz – Band of the Year 2011 category) played at the Peerie Willie Guitar Festival in 2009, Martin Taylor (Mainstream Jazz – Band of the Year 2011) has played in Shetland many times over the years and Tommy Smith (Jazz Educator of the Year 2011 category) will be playing in Shetland on 25th June.

Other notable acts who have visited Shetland over the course of the project have included leading lights such as drummer Alyn Cosker, saxophonist Derek Nash, guitarist John Etheridge and the Kirkwall Grammar School Big Band. Each visiting act has played concerts in Lerwick, rural venues and schools, and led a range of educational activities for local musicians and school children.

Read more about the Shetland Jazz Club / Shetland Arts’ promotions at http://www.shetlandarts.org/tag/jazz/

We hope everyone has a great time over the festival weekend, and congratulate the Folk Festival Committee on putting together another great line-up of groups and musicians.

• Shetland News article published earlier today – Tuning up for a five day spree

Quarff Hall, 10am-5pm, Saturday 2 & Sunday 3 April.

A two day course for adult beginners and basket makers in coiling and looping, exploring the creative potential of ancient basket making techniques with recycled and natural materials from your own environment.

Book tickets now

Almost anything can be used to make baskets but, in order to create something that works in terms of function or visual impact, it is necessary to first explore the potential of the material and draw inspiration from its qualities. In this workshop students will learn how to approach this research and how to use the materials they have in their immediate environment as the inspiration for their work. Bring a packed lunch, simple tools and some materials that are freely available in your home and everyday surroundings. Tea and coffee are provided.

Your check list of free materials for coiled and looped basket making:

Working with the materials that are available in your immediate environment is traditional; it is how basket makers have always worked.  It is also sustainable and tells a story of the maker and the way the maker has chosen to live, that is the key to making unique work.

Students need to bring a selection of found or recycled materials that are readily available to them in their home environment.  It is better not to pre-judge whether or not the materials are useable and it is not necessary to get everything on this lest – these are just a few examples of things that are possible.

The materials are used for two different purposes: some are the core material and some the stitching or tying material.

plastic bags, corrugated cardboard, papers, telephone or electric cable or wire, twigs/stems, strapping tape, rope and string, baler twine, long grasses/reeds/leaves, fabric off cuts, ribbons, tapes, wool, cotton yarn, video/audio cassette tapes, net bags from oranges/lemons, etc, inner tubes, stockings/tights/old t shirts….. and anything else students think might work, or that they like, or have lots of.

To comply with Health and Safety regulations, please make sure all found and recycled materials are cleaned and prepared for use, for example beach finds should be checked for oils and potentially infectious materials, and food cartons should be washed out.

A 2 day workshop requires about 2 carrier bags full of materials.  It is generally better to have lots of a few types of materials rather than just one piece of each.

Tools

A large eyed needle, a pair of all purpose scissors and a craft knife

Students should also bring any additional tools that they think might be necessary in order to use the materials they have gathered, for example secateurs or wire cutters.

Bonhoga Guided Tour

Lois is leading a guided tour of her exhibition “urban baskets: tradition recycled” at Bonhoga Gallery on Tuesday 29 March – more details and bookings for this free event here.

And for bairns – Saturday 23 April, 10.30am-12.30pm at Bonhoga Gallery

“Have A Go At Basketmaking” – a short and simple, free drop-in activity led by Shetland Arts staff for bairns under 8 years visiting the exhibition.  No booking required.

Book tickets now

Stu Brown's Raymond Scott Project

A unique jazz and cartoon film project will take place in Shetalnd at the beginning of March. The Stu Brown Sextet from Glasgow have exclusive rights to play the music of Ray Simpson. Now, Cole Porter you may have heard of, Rogers and Hart you may have heard of, but Ray Simpson! Well, you may not have heard his name, but for sure you have heard his music, for his eyeball-popping, hyper-animated jazz has been used in cartoon films from Bugs Bunny to The Simpsons for decades.

Now young people in Shetland get the chance to make a cartoon film and have the frantic Looney Tunes music played as live accompaniment at a special concert by the Stu Brown Sextet.

Ray Simpson is the 1930s composer whose music became the Looney Tunes soundtrack to Daffy Duck, Road Runner and the “That’s All Folks” style of cartoon. To modern ears, the early Raymond Scott recordings sound like classic cartoon music. The producers of Ren & Stimpy felt so, and added Scott’s zany music to their anarchic creations, thereby introducing Scott to a new generation of cartoon lovers. The Simpsons, Animaniacs, The Oblongs, and Duckman and have also featured Scott melodies.

Ironically, Scott never wrote a note for cartoons. He had moved on to other projects by the time his early compositions acquired a new life through the craftsmanship of the music director for Warner Brothers, Carl Stalling, who adapted many familiar strains in his cartoon soundtracks, concocting a slice’n'dice approach of jazz, pop, classical, folk and country-western. He used operatic motifs, marches, anthems and an awful lot of Scott.

The actual Raymond Scott Quintet only recorded from 1937 to 1939. In 1943, Warner Bros. bought Scott’s publishing; thereafter, Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes rolled off the assembly line with liberal splashes of Scott. These cartoons, in effect, immortalized his early work, preserving it for future generations. The Stu Brown Sextet lovingly recreate it and produce a zany brand of classic Twisted Toons jazz, complete with woodblocks, car horns and whistles. Stu claims that his six-piece outfit ‘is currently the only band in the world playing a programme consisting exclusively of Raymond Scott’s music.’ The band made their debut in the Britannia Panopticon Theatre at the Glasgow Jazz Festival and has been a feature of many festivals since.

They come to Shetland with a project, where young people aged 8+ get the unique chance to make an animated cartoon film in the morning which will be shown on the day with a live Looney Toons soundtrack. The animation sessions will be led by experienced animators who have been associated with the Stu Brown Raymond Scott Project since its inception. There will probably be two films made, one with the younger participants the second with the older ones.

Participation in the morning workshop costs just £10.00 and that gives access to the evening gig also. A real bargain. There are only thirty places available – so book early.

An evening concert will feature a short documentary film, made by his son, about Raymond Scott and his unique music. The films made by Shetland Young People will also feature, as well as a whole evening of the zaniest music you ever heard. It all takes place on Saturday 5 March with the workshop at 10.30 in the morning and the Concert at 7.30pm – all in Lerwick Town Hall. Tickets for both events are available from Shetland Box Office, Islesburgh Centre, 01595 745555 or at online at www.shetlandboxoffice.org

And That’s All Folks!

Guest Blog by Jeff Merryfield of Shetland Jazz Club

These events are part funded by the Scottish Arts Council/Creative Scotland Jazz Development Fund.

Derek Nash

However, Derek Nash is coming to Shetland, at the beginning of February, in a superb coupling with the excellent David Newton on piano. Nash is at the top of his game and comes to our shores because a number of local musicians have requested it. A vibrant and charismatic performer, Derek Nash is equally at home in all manner of jazz ensembles. He has played alongside Eric Clapton, Tom Jones, Jamie Cullum and Ruby Turner, to name but a few.

David Newton is equally respected within the jazz fraternity. Growing up in Renfrewshire, he had a musical upbringing with the piano sounds of Peterson, Tatum or Garner an ever-present feature in the Newton household. His recording career begun in 1985 with Buddy De Franco and Martin Taylor and his first solo album was released in 1988. In the nineties, Newton’s reputation as an exquisite accompanist for a singer, spread rather rapidly and he was regularly working with Carol Kidd, Marion Montgomery, Tina May, Annie Ross, Claire Martin and of course Stacey Kent, with whom he spent the next ten years recording and travelling all over the world. His music is regularly a feature of many TV programmes here and in America. He has been voted best jazz pianist eight times in the British Jazz Awards and was made a Fellow of Leeds College of Music in 2003.

Shetland Jazz Club and Shetland Arts combine to bring this superb and much anticipated duo to perform in special concerts at Bigton Village Hall on Friday 4 February and Lerwick Town Hall the following evening. There is a unique opportunity for local musicians and jazz aficionados to attend a masterclass on the Saturday afternoon – again at the Town Hall.

Derek Nash

Tickets for all these events from the Shetland Box Office, Islesburgh Centre,  01595 745555 – or online at Shetland Box Office

Guest post by Shetland Jazz Club secretary Jeff Merrifield

These events are part funded by the Scottish Arts Council/Creative Scotland Jazz Development Fund.

Please contact Shetland Box Office, Islesburgh Community Centre, 01595 745555 for full refund on cancelled event.

At the moment Saturday’s performances are going ahead as planned.