Shetland’s 2nd Fiddle Frenzy, promoted by Shetland Arts Trust as part of its ongoing music development project, is now less than two weeks away, with almost forty participating music students from all over the world heading towards Shetland to take part in this years event.

Fiddle Frenzy is a week-long event, running from 8th – 14th August 2005, aimed at promoting the widest possible range of Shetland traditional and contemporary music, especially that of our fiddle related heritage, on the international marketplace. It is also aimed at promoting the islands themselves as a visitor destination, especially in culture related terms.

The event, which takes place the length and breadth of Shetland, incorporates a mixture of musical and cultural workshops (both formal and informal), concerts, traditional sessions and a whole host of other related activities, aimed at providing visitors and participants with greater a knowledge of Shetland traditional music, tunes and styles past and present, the history surrounding the music and the individuals who shaped it in the past and continue to do so today. Many of Shetland finest musicians will be on hand to deliver the programme and assist the participants improve on their technical and musical skills.

Among the musical workshops on offer this year will be traditional fiddle (for beginners through to more skilled players) with musicians such as Christopher Stout and Andrew Gifford (Fiddlers Bid) Jenna Reid (Filska) Margaret Scollay, Bernadette Porter and Pauline Wiseman, to name but a few; piano accompaniment with Violet Tulloch and guitar accompaniment with Brian Nicolson and Alan Scollay.

Other music related workshops will focus on the traditional and unique musical styles of the northern and outer isles (Cullivoe Fiddlers from Yell, Gibby Hutchison from Whalsay and Arthur Spence from Unst) and, somewhat inevitably, Tom Anderson – the man and his music, including a tour of where he was born, lived his early life and where he is now buried.

A number of other culture related workshops will focus on traditional dance (Maria Leask); a visit to the croft house museum in Dunrossness, where the social life of 100 years ago will be recreated; a visit to the Cunningsburgh Show, a storytelling and musical tour of the south mainland; a similar tour of Unst; a visit to Busta House to hear the Busta House story from Elma Johnson and a local fiddle making exhibition in Islesburgh Community Centre on Sunday 14th August.

This year, and hopefully annually from now on, Fiddle Frenzy will also boast an international music flavour, whereby musicians from other musical communities, especially those synonymous with unique fiddle traditions, will be invited to Shetland to deliver workshops in their own musical styles and to perform in concerts throughout the event. This year the focus is on the music of Norway, with acclaimed traditional fiddle / Hardanger player Annlaug Borsheim and accordionist Linda Gytri visiting Shetland for the festival.

All workshops are open to locals as well as visitors. Anyone interested in taking part should contact Jacqui Clark on (01595) 694001 to check availability.

In addition to the workshops Fiddle Frenzy will promote a number of concerts and traditional sessions, all of which are open to the general public, during the week long festivities.

On Tuesday the 9th August the opening concert of Fiddle Frenzy will be held in the Garrison Theatre and will feature many of the tutors and bands taking part in the event including Jenna Reid who will be launching her new solo CD during the concert.

On Wednesday the 10th the Garrison is again the venue for a very special concert featuring the music, the history and some personal memories of some of Shetland’s legendary composers from the past including Gideon Stove, Arthur Scott Robertson, Frank Jamieson, Ronnie Cooper, Ian Burns and Willie Hunter. The musical element of the concert will again feature some of Shetland finest traditional musicians who are either related to the composers, personally knew or were involved with them at the time or simply following in their illustrious footsteps. The line up includes Brian Gear and Violet Tulloch, Ronnie, Astryd and Kaela Jamieson, Emma Gray, Christopher Stout, Jimmy Burgess and Ian Williamson.

Thursday’s concert will be held in Cullivoe, Yell and features Whalsay fiddler Gibby Hutchison, Unst fiddler Steven Spence, Norwegian musicians Annlaug Borsheim and Linda Gytri and vocal group Shoormal.

Friday and the Hillswick Hall is the venue where the Heritage Fiddlers, Annlaug and Linda and Fullsceilidh Spelemannslag (a new, large and exciting ceilidh band) will be among those on the bill.

Saturday the 13th August and the main concert of this years Fiddle Frenzy will take place in the Clickimin Bowls Hall. It features ‘Fiddlers’ Bid’ and ‘Filska’, Shetland’s internationally acclaimed fiddle bands, sharing the same bill together for the first time in many years, along with a number of supporting artists. This concert will also afford Fiddle Frenzy students and participants the unique opportunity to share the stage with these two top acts.

The final concert of this years event takes place in Islesburgh Community Centre on the Sunday afternoon at 2.30pm, when many of Shetland’s younger musical stars will share the same stage including national prize winning fiddler Gemma Donald, Mary Rutherford – Shetland’s current Young Fiddler of the Year, our internationally acclaimed fiddle band ‘Swinging Fiddles’, award winning vocalist Jillian Isbister and young blues band the ‘Two Pot Screamers’ - the hit act of the ‘Flavour of Shetland’ music tent during the Island Games week.

For further details of these concerts see adverts in the entertainments section of the Shetland Times or call Davie Gardner or Jacqui Clark at Shetland Arts Trust on (01595) 694001.

Regular traditional sessions, open to everyone, will be taking place in many of Lerwick’s pubs throughout the week. Again call Davie or Jacqui for details of these.

The whole event will be rounded off with a massive private farewell party for all the participants on Sunday evening the 14th August.

Shetland Arts Trust Music Development Officer Davie Gardner said “Our hope to make Fiddle Frenzy a regular major event on the local music scene and calendar has taken a step closer and I’m especially delighted that an increased number of students have signed up for this years event, some coming from as far afield as the USA. I’m equally delighted that so many top quality local musicians, bands etc are again involved in the event as this gives our visitors the widest and highest quality taste of what the islands have to offer, both culturally and as a visitor destination in our own right. It promises to be a very exciting, productive and highly enjoyable week and I hope as many locals as possible will come out and support the concerts and take part in the informal music sessions during the week. It will all add to what should be a fantastic event and atmosphere”.