' Harris Playfair Youth Big Band

Fiddle Frenzy’s showcase concerts will feature Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham headlining the opening night concert on Sunday 7th August with Bodega, Harris Playfair’s Youth Big Band Project, Nordic Fiddler’s Bloc featuring Kevin Henderson, Maggie Adamson & Brian Nicholson, Fullscelidh Spelemannslag and more performing through the week.

The event is based in venues around Lerwick most of the week; on Tuesday the activities will take place in Ollaberry and on Friday, Aith.

Evening dances will feature the Jim Halcrow Band on Sunday 7th, the James Leask Band on Tuesday and Leeshinat on Friday.  Each evening there will be a festival club and late night session at the Garrison Theatre.

Bodega's Ross Couper

Daily music workshops will be hosted by some of Shetland finest performers and tutors including Ross Couper, Bryan Gear, Cathy Geldard, Andrew Gifford, Kevin Henderson, Jim Leask, Bernadette Porter and Pauleen Wiseman delivering their skills, knowledge and enthusiasm across the classes, throughout the week.  Once again Ryan Couper will be leading the guitar classes.

Together with the musical activities, there will be a range of artistic workshops including drawing and paining with Blue Sky Studios, Contemporary Knitting with Jennie Bradley and Creative Writing with T.S. Eliot Prize winner Jen Hadfield.

` Nordic Fiddlers Bloc

This year Fiddle Frenzy will be welcoming young scholarship musicians from Orkney and the Western Isles to take part in the Harris Playfair Big Band Project and all the weeks activities thanks to financial support from the Scotland’s Islands fund.

For the full programme of events visit www.shetlandarts.org/events/fiddle-frenzy or for further information contact Shetland Arts on 01595 743 843.

Bookings for concerts and workshops can be made at Shetland Box Office, Islesburgh Community Centre, Lerwick 01595 745555 or visit www.shetlandboxoffice.org

Scholarship students will participate in The Harris Playfair Youth Trad Big Band Project and Fiddle Frenzy, our renowned fiddle school that comprises a week long programme of tuition from some of Shetland’s finest musicians, showcase concerts, dances and cultural activities. The scholarship project is supported by Scotland’s Islands www.scotlandsislands.com

Fiddle Frenzy

Fiddle Frenzy, Sunday 7th to Sunday 14th August, is a summer school and cultural festival that concentrates on Shetland’s unique sense of place, and is designed to teach and pass on traditional Shetland musical styles and tunes.  As well as fiddle tuition, Shetland style guitar accompaniment is offered, and classes are available in Traditional Shetland Knitting techniques, Creative Writing and Art Workshops that will feature our spectacular land and seascapes.  The music tutors include some of Shetland’s most proficient musicians including Ross Couper, Bryan Gear, Cathy Geldard, Andrew Gifford, Kevin Henderson, Jim Leask, Bernadette Porter and Pauleen Wiseman, who will pass on their skills, knowledge and enthusiasm. The fantastic Ryan Couper will once again lead the guitar classes.

Shetland storytellers and historians will host the daily cultural trips, and there will be concerts and dances every evening together with a festival club. Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham, Bodega, Nordic Fiddlers Bloc, Fullsceilidh Spelemannslag, Maggie Adamson & Brian Nicholson, Hom Bru, Bryan Gear with Violet Tulloch are some of the acts who will perform during the evening concerts.

Harris Playfair Youth Trad Big Band Project

The Harris Playfair Youth Trad Big Band Project, which will take place between Wednesday 3rd to Tuesday 9th August, is a youth ‘super group’ featuring some of the islands’ finest young musicians who, under the tutelage of Harris Playfair and Margaret Scollay will focus on material that spans jazz and traditional Shetland music with ‘big band’ style arrangements (view video footage of the band at the bottom of this page).

Harris has a track record of producing astonishing results with groups of young musicians. He has a deep understanding and appreciation of jazz and traditional Shetland styles, and the connections between the two. This is a great opportunity for young musicians to be part of an exciting and progressive ensemble, and for audiences to hear the inventive new material, that will result from the rigorous and thoroughly enjoyable workshops.  Harris hopes the group will provide “a platform upon which the young musicians can experience the kind of eclectic musical diversity which characterises the music of such groups as The Unusual Suspects, the True North Orchestra, the Treacherous Orchestra, and more locally connected groups such as Fiddlers Bid and Filska.”

The group of young musicians will push back musical boundaries and gain an invaluable range of experiences, collectively and individually, while learning just how exciting being part of such a creative ensemble can be.  The project will use traditional and contemporary melodies from each of the participating island groups with multi-textured arrangements influenced by the jazz big band idiom. Another aim will be to encourage the young musicians to produce their own material: both melodies and group arrangements.  The Big Band workshops will run from Wednesday 3rd to Sunday 7th August with a performance on Mon 8th at the Fidddle Frenzy  opening concert in the Garrison Theatre, Lerwick, followed by a second performance in Ollaberry in the north Shetland Mainland on Tuesday 9^th.

Scholarship

Each year Shetland Arts provides two free scholarship places to the winners of the Shetland Young Fiddler of the Year competition. This year the titles went Hannah Adamson and Martha Thomson. Thanks to funding from Scotland’s Islands, the scholarship programme has been widened to include participants from each of the Scottish island groups.

The scholarship is designed to encourage an understanding of the music of Shetland and to promote its continued development, highlighting living traditions and modern influences, and educating young musicians to ensure that traditional music continues to evolve.  It also aims to strengthen the ties between the island groups and provide musical collaboration opportunities for the participants.

The scholarship is open to young people aged 14 to 26 and best suited to fiddle players, although Shetland Arts will consider guitarists, bassists, or any musician able to take part in the workshops.  Shetland Arts welcomes applications from the following regions: Highland (Eigg, Muck, Raasay, Rum, Skye, Canna); North Ayrshire (Arran, Great Cumbrae); Argyll & Bute (Bute, Iona, Coll, Colonsay, Gigha, Islay, Jura, Kerrera, Lismore, Luing, Mull, Seil, Tiree); the Outer Hebrides (Eday, Barra, Uist, Lewis/Harris); and Orkney. Scholarship students must be available to attend the full range of events from 3rd to 14th August.

The scholarship will include costs for all travel, accommodation, food and participation fees. The students will be accommodated in our award winning youth hostel.  A liaison officer, with a musical background, will be staying in the youth hostel and will be on hand to assist them.

Bryan Peterson, Shetland Arts’ Music Development Officer said, “This is a fantastic opportunity for young musicians to come to Shetland and immerse themselves in our culture, and share the music of their islands with Shetlanders.”

If you wish to apply or nominate someone, please download, complete and return this application form (Youth Scholarship Application.doc) or contact Shetland Arts for further information: Shetland Arts, Toll Clock Centre, Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0DE – 01595 743 843 –  info@shetlandarts.org – www.shetlandarts.org

The deadline for application submission is midday Monday 4th July.

Links

• Fiddle Frenzy
• Harris Playfair Trad Big Band news

Video footage of Harris Playfair Youth Trad Big Band

This project has been supported by Scotland’s Islands – www.scotlandsislands.com

The as yet unnamed group will feature around 25 musicians including Young Fiddler of the Year Liza Fullerton and jazz saxophonist Norman Willmore of Norman and the Folding Deckchairs fame.

The group will meet for the first time on Wednesday 4th August to take part in a series of five intensive daylong workshops to arrange and rehearse material composed by Playfair especially for the group before their debut performance at the opening concert of this year’s Fiddle Frenzy on Monday 9th August at Garrison Theatre.

Harris Playfair is one of Shetland’s most innovative musicians and musical directors and the driving force behind youth music ensembles such as the “Ceol Mor” Trad Big Band, part of the Aberdeen International Youth Festival and the “Sunshine Coast Trad Band” in B.C., Canada. Calling on his previous experience, Playfair will guide all the elements of the creative process, direct the composition and selection of material, and have a principle role in shaping the groups’ development and future direction.

Playfair will be working alongside Margaret Scollay, one of Shetland’s most experienced traditional music teachers, and young tutors including Ryan Couper on guitar and Victoria Laurenson on accordion.

Bryan Peterson, Music Development Officer at Shetland Arts, who are organising the project said, “Harris has a proven track record of producing astonishing results with groups of young musicians. He has a deep understanding and appreciation of jazz and traditional Shetland styles, and the links between the two. It is a great opportunity for our young musicians to be part of an exciting and progressive ensemble, and for audiences to hear inventive new material and the results of Harris’ rigorous workshops.”

Playfair hopes the group will provide “a platform upon which the young musicians of Shetland can experience the kind of eclectic musical diversity which characterises the music of such groups as The Unusual Suspects, the True North Orchestra, the Treacherous Orchestra, and more locally connected groups such as Fiddlers Bid and Filska.”

“What the project hopes to achieve is to establish a collective of young musicians which pushes many musical boundaries and gives the participants an invaluable range of experiences, both collectively and individually, and also helps to make them aware of just how exciting the potential of being part of such a creative ensemble can be.”

The main source of the material used will be traditional and contemporary melodies, mainly from Shetland, Scotland, and Scandinavia, with multi textured arrangements influenced by the jazz big band idiom. There will be a strong emphasis on encouraging the young musicians to produce their own material, both melodically and through group arranging.

The project is part funded by the Scottish Arts Council’s Jazz Development Fund.

Tickets for the performance are available from Shetland Box Office, Islesburgh Community Centre, Lerwick – 01595 745 555

Notes to participants:

Workshops

Wednesday 4th to Sunday 8th August – 9am to 5pm at Bells Brae School. Wednesday’s workshop will start at 10am to allow for set-up time. Sunday’s workshop will be in the afternoon only, starting at 2pm.

The workshops will take place in the gym hall and/ or GP area. Entrance will be through the ASN Dept door at the top of Bell’s Road. There will be signs to direct you to the workshop. Access with a vehicle (to drop off instruments etc) can be arranged via the gates near the back door of the gym. Please let us know in advance so we can make arrangements with the janitors.

There will be an hour-long lunch break between 1pm and 2pm each day. Islesburgh, Clickimin Centre and the Toll Clock Centre are within easy walking distance but you may wish to consider taking a packed lunch.

Performance

Monday 9 August at Garrison Theatre. This is the Fiddle Frenzy opening concert. The venue will be available for rehearsals / soundcheck through the day. Details will be confirmed during the workshop sessions.

Instruments and equipment

A small PA, drumkit, piano, amps and music stands will be supplied. Please bring your instruments and all other equipment and accessories you need.

For more information, contact Shetland Arts’ 01595 743 843 or Music Development Officer Bryan Peterson bryan.peterson@shetlandarts.org – 07766 515 379

Fiddle On magazine website – www.fiddleon.co.uk

After the schools we wandered down to the boating club for dinner and as we were basking in the glorious sunshine spontaneous tunes broke out down at the shore giving a few of the cars in the ferry queue a real musical treat.

Baked haddock for dinner was very appropriate, as Whalsay is an isle famed for its fishing heritage. We then set off in our busses, some heading back to Lerwick for the Singing concert, others like myself headed to Voe village hall for the “An Evening With…” concert.

Host Davie Gardner interviewed the performers after their sets. Its great to find out a bit about the history of some of the groups like The Shetland Fiddlers who will have their 50th anniversary next year, or catch up with Andrew Gifford, who has a wide musical life outside playing with Fiddlers’ Bid. The evening went from strength to strength, and our dance band Da Fustra were cooking; the floor was never empty. It was a warm summers evening but the heat of the hall didn’t prevent highly energetic Strip the Willows’ , Dashing White Sergeant’s and, Shetlands favourite, Boston Two Steps interspersed with a few waltzes.

Shattered but happy is the only way to describe everyone as they headed back on the bus, arriving in Lerwick about 1.30am

More fun for today; Phil and Aly have just arrived and the concert is a sell out. Another great night in store for us all.

Yesterday our first full day went fantastically; the feedback from our students is that they are delighted with their classes, the trip to Scalloway castle and Tingwall Kirk with the storytellers went down very well and the addition of a visit to Cecil Tate’s workshop and talk in the fisheries college over coffee added another aspect to the story of Shetland past and present.

It was an early start for our students today after their late night session in the club. Our two busses left Lerwick at 8.30 and headed north. It’s a lovely bright but fresh day so the 35 minute ferry journey, although not rough, was a new experience for many of our students. Several of them have come up to me specifically talk about the set by Bryan Gear and Violet Tulloch at the concert last night, from his playing technique to Bryan’s Shetland made fiddle. “Gobsmacking” has been a phrase used on many occasions.

So back to today. The storytellers are walking round Symbister this morning with our guests and Lee Jamieson our bus driver has the delights of touring our them round the rest of Whalasy in the afternoon. Then it’s dinner before we head back on the ferry to Voe for tonight’s concert.

And here’s Helen Whitham’s thoughts on Monday’s activites!

“Well it’s fiddle frenzy time again and I thought I’d maybe ease myself in to the week gently with, what I though would be a nice, fairly quiet, easy going family dance…no chance!! When I arrived the floor was filled with folk whirling and birling and wheeoochin! as they danced a Strip the Willow to the Jim Halcrow Dance band. It was a great night and the dancers continued to fill the floor with each dance that was called, a Pride of Earn, Boston Two Step, Dashing White Sergeant, you get the idea… I certainly enjoyed myself and it was great to see a few familiar faces from a couple of years ago. There were a few local families there too and along with the students everyone looked like they were having a great time and getting to know each other.

Then it was up to the Garrison Theatre, where the festival club is this year, for a few tunes. There was a session on the stage as well as up the stairs in the dressing rooms and Davy Cooper, Laurence Tulloch and … were there as well to tell some stories. I’m sure the tunes continued long after I left at 11 as the students were keeping things well fired up! Roll on the concert and sessions tonight!”

Images of Fiddle Frenzy 2009

Tavish Scott, our MSP, was due to welcome everyone to Shetland but a pressing and much more important engagement arose (congratulations to Tavish and Kirsten on the birth of a baby boy!). Director of Shetland Arts, Gwilym Gibbons took the helm to welcome the visitors and, after a few words about ferries and workshops from myself, our students dispersed into their classes. This is the first year we have run The Art Craft Experience (contemporary knitting techniques) and Makkin Wi Wirds (creative writing) and our workshops run by Wilma Cooper and Jenni Bradley (ACE) and Jen Hadfield (writer and winner of the TS Elliot prize 2008) continued well past their allotted time due to the enthusiasm of both tutors and students.

The fiddle workshops on day one give everyone a chance to re-grade their speed of learning; we teach by ear and each of the four classes are set by the speed a student can learn. This year we have fewer absolute beginners and more of the medium to fast learners, and the fastest class learned four tunes from Bryan Gear and Violet Tulloch in the first hour… that’s going to be some catalogue of tunes by the end of the week!

The afternoon was rounded off with a great youth session. We sprung on the under 25’s that they could play a set of tunes in our headline concert on Saturday, but listening to that practice they were all more than up for the task; there are some great young players with us this year.

The evenings Dance at Islesburgh was a sell out and from 7.30 until 9.30 the floor was never empty. A short story from Elma Johnson about a magic fiddle that broke into a thousand pieces after its owner died was quickly followed by a Boston Two Step and the night began. Jim Halcrow’s Dance band is always a hit on the first evening of Fiddle Frenzy and Maria Leask, Shetland Arts’ Traditional Dance tutor, was on hand to walk our visitors who are new to Shetland through some of our dances before firing into the full speed version.

The day didn’t finish there, as everyone left Islesburgh they headed for the festival Club in the Garrison Theatre for tunes and tales. This is the first year we’ve used backstage at the theatre for the Festival club and it seemed to go very well. Carol Duncan not only administrates the festival she also stepped up to the mark to become our barmaid this week (now that’s dedication!). The Shetland Fiddlers joined us for a tune and the theatre was ringing to the sound of fiddles, banjos, pianos and mandolins till well after midnight. Slightly earlier than we sometimes end up playing until, but not surprising on the first night as many folk had travelled up that day, and some had taken the ferry option and not taken cabins. 14 hours overnight followed by a full on day of tunes. I’ve still to speak to the writers, knitters and story tellers about last night, but I’ll catch up with them this morning and see how they got on.

It was a great day and I hope that everyone got some rest last night as we’re about to start all over again. Having realised that all we ate yesterday was one bacon roll and a Panini, I’ve had a huge breakfast to ensure my energy levels remain up…. and lots of coffee will be the order of the day!

Looking forward to the first concert in the Garrison tonight at 7.30 with Bryan Gear and Violet Tulloch, and our tutors and storytellers.

The day will finish with a family dance, with music from the Jim Halcrow Band, and a late night music session back at the Garrison Theatre (this year’s festival club) to allow participants to relax and get to know each other before the week of intensive tuition, concerts and activities.

For a full list of concerts visit our What’s on page page

Bobby Peterson, of South Califf, Tingwall, was one of the best fiddlers of his generation as Tom Anderson’s archive recordings testify. He learned from his father, and was inspired by the famous Geordie Stark the itinerant blind fiddler from Dundee. Bobby was one of the first members of the Shetland Fiddlers Society.

Bobby Peterson has greatly inspired his grandson, Bryan Gear who released his first, long awaited, solo CD, ‘Kebister Head’, in 2008. The tune ‘Kebister Head’ is one of Bryan’s grandfather’s few compositions. Bobby Peterson is virtually unknown outside Shetland, but his style and interpretation of many other tunes deserves recognition. His interpretation is as significant a part of the living traditions of his time as the higher profile work of Aly Bain, Fiddlers Bid and Bryan Gear today. ‘Kebister Head’ also has a CD attached with some of the late Dr Tom Anderson’s fantastic archives recordings of Bobby playing a few of the tunes transcribed in the book.

Students, from all over the world, have been requesting access to more traditional Shetland tunes. This tied in with a project Shetland Arts ran in conjunction with The Scottish Arts Council Youth Music Initiative when, for two years, young Shetland players researched and tutored on tunes, from their own areas which resulted in the first publication ‘Hamar Ower da Taing’, in 2008. Shetland Arts released this first fiddle tune book as part of the music development of their annual fiddle school and festival, ‘Fiddle Frenzy’. A second Fiddle Frenzy book and CD, ‘Shetland Session Tunes’, was published earlier this year to meet the demand from students who want to take part in local sessions and mix with local players. Session sets from the Shetland Fiddlers, the Heritage Fiddlers and the Cullivoe Fiddlers are included, and the CD has tunes played individually, at a very slow rate, then speeded up, in sets by the 2009’s Youth Music Tutors. This is a good aid to learning.

All the books have been transcribed by local fiddle player and teacher Margaret Scollay. Shetland Arts and Shetland Museum and Archives have worked in partnership on this project and look forward to working on further publications.

Bryan Gear and Violet Tulloch launch Shetland Arts’ third fiddle tune book ‘Kebister Head’ – and other fiddle tunes composed, or as played, by Bobby Peterson.  The launch will take place in the Foyer of Shetland Museum on Sunday 2 August at 2.30pm and an invitation is extended to anyone who would like to come along to this event. Bryan and Violet will play in the Museum Foyer at 2.30pm and copies of the book will be available from the Museum Shop that day and later on from other outlets in town.

Kebister Head book cover

Bobby Peterson, of South Califf, Tingwall, was one of the best fiddlers of his generation as Tom Anderson’s archive recordings testify.  He learned from his father, and was inspired by the famous Geordie Stark the itinerant blind fiddler from Dundee. Bobby was one of the first members of the Shetland Fiddlers Society.

Bobby Peterson has greatly inspired his grandson, Bryan Gear who released his first, long awaited, solo CD, ‘Kebister Head’, in 2008.  The tune ‘Kebister Head’ is one of Bryan’s grandfather’s few compositions. Bobby Peterson is virtually unknown outside Shetland, but his style and interpretation of many other tunes deserves recognition. His interpretation is as significant a part of the living traditions of his time as the higher profile work of Aly Bain, Fiddlers Bid and Bryan Gear today. ‘Kebister Head’ also has a CD attached with some of the late Dr Tom Anderson’s fantastic archives recordings of Bobby playing a few of the tunes transcribed in the book.

Students, from all over the world, have been requesting access to more traditional Shetland tunes. This tied in with a project Shetland Arts ran in conjunction with The Scottish Arts Council Youth Music Initiative when, for two years, young Shetland players researched and tutored on tunes, from their own areas which resulted in the first publication ‘Hamar Ower da Taing’, in 2008. Shetland Arts released this first fiddle tune book as part of the music development of their annual fiddle school and festival, ‘Fiddle Frenzy’.  A second Fiddle Frenzy book and CD, ‘Shetland Session Tunes’, was  published earlier this year to meet the demand from students who want to take part in local sessions and mix with local players. Session sets from the Shetland Fiddlers, the Heritage Fiddlers and the Cullivoe Fiddlers are included, and the CD has tunes played individually, at a very slow rate, then speeded up, in sets by the 2009’s Youth Music Tutors.  This is a good aid to learning.

All the books have been transcribed by local fiddle player and teacher Margaret Scollay. Shetland Arts and Shetland Museum and Archives have worked in partnership on this project and look forward to working on further publications.

Contact us for further information.