New curators for Fiddle Frenzy

Shetland Arts’ annual Fiddle Frenzy festival, the isles’ celebration of the fiddle, has new curators this year.

The festival will see Eunice Henderson and Claire White, both highly respected teachers and performers of Shetland fiddle, start a three-year term as curators.

Eunice and Claire both said they were very excited to have this opportunity. They said: “It’s been a pleasure and privilege to tutor and perform at previous frenzy years and will be great to extend that experience by designing a whole week of Shetland culture for attendees. We invite you all to join us for a feast of music and fun in August.”

The fiddle tutors confirmed for the festival, which takes place from 31st July to 7th August, are: Andrew Gifford, Debbie Scott, Catriona Macdonald, Lois Nicol, Kaela Jamieson, Mary Rutherford, Kirsten Hendry and Maggie Adamson.

Plans for other music workshops, including guitar accompaniment, are still being finalised and will be announced in the coming weeks. Besides that there will be individual concerts.

Creative Fringe classes, comprising artistic subjects such as drawing, sculpture, print making, weaving and so on, will again be on offer, curated by local artists Amy Fisher and Ana Arnett.

Shetland Arts’ Lynda Anderson said: “Fiddle Frenzy, now in its 13th year, is a great opportunity for us all to celebrate our unique fiddle tradition. Students travel from around the world to learn the tunes and techniques of the famed Shetland style from our local fiddlers.” She said it was especially important for students to learn here in the islands themselves, where the landscapes and culture have such significance for the tradition.

Ms Anderson added: “It is an opportunity too for local players to immerse themselves in an intense week of learning, with some tutors who may be new to them. Nightly concerts, traditional dances and tours also take place across the week. We remind everyone that spaces on classes are limited so early booking is recommended to secure a place.”