Schools music festival starts with top-class music from the off

The Shetland Schools Music Festival got under way on Monday morning at Mareel in Lerwick.

This year sees the turn of the secondary pupils and Hughina Naylor, who adjudicated the primary classes last year, is back to adjudicate the older age group.

There are in the region of 230 entries this year, from all over Shetland, with over 500 pupils due to take part.

The piano solo class was the first to get started on Monday. Ms Naylor commented that the standard in the class was exceptional and felt more like audition pieces for the Conservatoire or the like.

Next was the turn of the strings players. Ms Naylor said the performances blew her mind and that the quality of playing and musicianship would be hard to find elsewhere in Scotland.

George Spence from Unst, who performed in the string solo class, was noted as being “fantastic” in his traditional playing.

Among the highlights from this afternoon were singers Martha Brown and Louise Fraser from the Anderson High School.

The Music Festival goes on until Thursday with The Young Musician of the year on Wednesday and gala concert on Thursday.

Tickets for all evening concerts are available at Mareel. The evening concerts are also being live streamed, the link for which can be found on the Shetland Arts website and on the SIC twitter page.

• For full report and photos see The Shetland Times on Friday.