August, 2019: Shetland Visit to Boston

 The 2 ladies with Bryan Gear: Thompson Island

 Boston Harbor 

In concert: Jamie Laval, Ian Muir, Judi Nicolson, Patsy Reid, Bryan Gear 

In August 2019, the Folk Arts Center of New England sponsored the Boston Harbor Scottish Fiddle
School, with Judi Nicolson as music director.
The week-long festival of music instruction and concerts was held on Thompson Island in Boston Harbor. The faculty included Judi Nicolson, Jamie Laval, Patsy Reid, Bryan Gear and Ian Muir.

Shetland 101

I recommend A-Z of Shetland for a humorous look at the islands,
A-Z of Shetland

and a lovely introduction to Shetland dialect by poet Christine deLuca:
Shetland dialect

Hurra fur da Fiddler Lang may he live Tae dra da bow Never may he die!
(‘A Toast to the Fiddler’ - Shetland, anonymous)

Reinventing 'Springs'   (article on Shetland fiddling)

A sample of Shetland fiddle:
  Tom Anderson, Catriona MacDonald, Peerie Willie Johnson

  Aly Bain and Willie Hunter

  Catriona MacDonald

  Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham

Frenzy Concerts 2016

A feast of fiddling every evening for listening and dancing.

Among the many:

Hummelskju with Astryd Jamieson (L),

Adam Johnson (C), and Kaela Jamieson (R)

Shetland Fiddler's Society

Clinkin' Fiddles

Violet Tulloch, Aly Bain, Phil Cunningham

Shetland 2016 Landscape Highlights

In past years I posted several albums via the picasaweb site. This year I am posting only a couple
of my best photos from the islands: 3 from Lerwick, on a wonderful sunny day, and one from our
outing to Baltasound, Unst.

Baltasound, Unst

Frenzied, 2016

It was our pleasure to attend the 2016 Shetland Fiddle Frenzy for the fourth time. Our initial visit was inspired by Catriona MacDonald, and, again, we had the privilege of being in her class and attending her performance. The week was filled with wonderful music and congeniality.

Catriona MacDonald

2016 fiddler faculty

A few of the many great fiddlers we were privileged to hear/learn from :

Claire White

Eunice Henderson

Debbie Scott

Kevin Henderson

Maggie Adamson

Saturday Set tunes for 2016

From Shetland Arts --

"Only 2 weeks to go! Below is a link to recordings of the Saturday Set tunes, all recorded by our curator Eunice Henderson except for the Steven Spence tune which was recorded by Steven himself. This link has been set as open access to anyone on the web, and should not ask for a log in but do let me know if you’re having problems with it."

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0Bwn_niy8ISF4czhkZGMzTjFoYm8&usp=sharing

2016 Frenzy program also available at link above.

We're ba-a-a-a-ack

Janet and I are registered for our 4th Shetland Fiddle Frenzy. We are looking forward to visiting our old haunts, reconnecting with our fiddling icons, and joining in this great celebration of fiddle music.

Back in Maine

Once again the two ladies enjoyed a week of fiddling at Acadia Trad School -www.acadiatradschool.com - in Bar Harbor, Maine.
In this photo, old-time fiddler Pete Sutherland gives a lesson on the porch at College of the Atlantic.
Other fiddle instructors were Bruce Molsky, Pascal Miousse, and Liz Carroll.

Acadia Trad

Bar Harbor, Maine is a few hours drive from Boston. This summer the 2 ladies ventured there for our summer fiddle fix. We attended the first ever Acadia Traditional School of Music and Art, held on the campus of College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor. Lessons from masters of fiddle Richard Forest, Michael Doucette, Troy MacGillivray, and Pascal Miousse were accompanied by the wonderful Maine landscape.

Did I mention we were treated to an evening harbor cruise?

Next year, the school will offer a mix of Irish, Old-Time, and Acadian teaching. 

Great fiddling! Great fun!

Check out the program for 2014!     www.acadiatradschool.com

Blazin' in Boston

What luck for us!! Blazin' Fiddles spent the weekend, Oct. 26 - 28, in Boston, giving workshops and concerts. Janet and I reconnected with Jenna Reid (see post below, Sept. 2010). We enjoyed all the workshops, but especially hers, learning Shetland tunes: the Papa Stour Bridal March and Up and Doon da Harbour. The Friday night concert at Club Passim was fantastic!!

2010 Photo Albums

Aberdeen/Mousa/Lerwick

Yell, W. Mainland, Bressay

Noss, Jarshoff

The 2010 Frenzy

Once again, the 2 ladies attended the musical feast known as 'The Shetland Fiddle Frenzy.' We experienced the energy and excitement of Shetland fiddling, pretty much non-stop for a week. Although our base was in Lerwick, classes were held one day in Cullivoe, with a side trip to Gloup. Another day, classes were held in Hillswick, with a side trip to Eshaness. We were fortunate to have three excellent teachers for our classes: Bryan Gear - with Violet Tulloch,
Jenna Reid, and Ross Couper.

An added musical event was the CD release party for Escape, music written by Jenna and Beth Reid, shown above, performed with their ensemble (we highly recommend the CD).

This being the 100th anniversary of the birth of Tom Anderson, we came home with a few more of his tunes. I had a disposable video camera with me and had an audience member record the student recital at the final concert. That video is posted below: "Student Concert." Trust me, Janet and I were onstage, to the left, 3rd row. The tunes are 2 compositions by Tom Anderson: The Road to Moreview, and The Eshaness Two-step.

In addition to traveling with our classes to Hillswick and Cullivoe, Janet and I managed to explore Mousa and Noss. Our travel photos are posted in 3 albums online. They may be accessed by clicking on each of the album titles on
the right column: "2010 Photo Albums."

Construction of the Mareel performance center is well under way. It should be an exciting venue for next year's events.

Student Concert/ Shetland Fiddle Frenzy 2010

3rd time !

The 2 ladies have registered and are making arrangements to attend the 2010 Fiddle Frenzy.

2 ladies in Nova Scotia

In October the two ladies had the pleasure of attending 'Celtic Colors' in Cape Breton, NS. We spent a couple of enjoyable days exploring Annapolis. From there we drove to Cape Breton for a week of splendid music.
The following post displays scenic highlights.
Additional photos can be seen in our picasaweb album here.

Cape Breton scenes

Upper:

Welcoming fiddle, Sydney, NS, convention center

Center:

2 ladies on the Cabot Trail

Lower:

Welcoming moose

On the Air

I have acquired a sizable collection of Shetland CD's. Recently I presented a program of Shetland fiddle music on my local radio station (WMUA FM, 91.1, out of Amherst MA), with a good word or two about the Fiddle Frenzy. How the time did fly! I could have filled 24 hrs, but, in the 1.5 hr program, had to settle for a small sample of Tom Anderson, Aly Bain, Catriona MacDonald, Willie Hunter, Debbie Scott and Chris Stout, Fiddlers Bid and Blazin' Fiddles.

I recently purchased Debbie Scott's "The Selkie's Song", newly released on CD. Love it, especially her composition, 'Naomi Jane's Reel.'

Janet and I are considering a visit to Cape Breton for Celtic Colours in October, 2009. While this year's edition will feature Irish fiddlers, Chris Stout and Catriona McKay will be there, too, upholding Shetland tradition.

Mareel 2010

I am excited to learn that construction of Mareel, the new performance arts venue in Shetland, is about to begin, with opening planned for 2010. Descriptions and artist's renderings may be viewed at http://www.myspace.com/mareelshetland.

Unfortunately the dates of the Fiddle Frenzy do not work for either of the 2 ladies in 2009.
We hope to catch up with Mareel and the Frenzy in 2010.