Vocal Music Festival

ANDY ROSS, the co-organiser of the inaugural Vocal Music Festival on Unst and Yell, reports on the events of the weekend.

THE FIRST Vocal Music Festival on Yell took place over the weekend of 5-7 September. On Friday, two opera singers, mezzo-soprano Johanna Byrne and myself, baritone Andy Ross, accompanied by Clare Clements on piano, performed and worked with schoolchildren in Unst and Yell on vocal production, and making music, then moved onto a weekend of vocal production and performances. It was the first such event organised by GlobalYell Ltd, a company established to promote music in Shetland, and the response was outstanding.

Working with Alice Mullay, who teaches music at the Baltasound School, the musicians listened to the young people perform and then offered advice and help on how to improve their presentations. I was impressed with the willingness of the participants and the variety music that they chose to perform, and it was encouraging to see boys in the class performing and singing too.

The next visit was to Cullivoe School in Yell where four pupils sang and played piano and percussion instruments with the musicians. It was a rousing way to end the first day of the festival and a good way to break the visitors into the wild beauty of Shetland.

Gutcher, Yell, and seven attended from all over Shetland. The day started with exercises for relaxation before moving on to vocal exercises, designed to warm-up and strengthen the voice.

Saturday was the first day of workshops and master classes. These took place in the Wind Dog Café in Gutcher, Yell, and seven attended from all over Shetland. The day started with exercises for relaxation before moving on to vocal exercises, designed to warm-up and strengthen the voice.

The afternoon session took the form of a master class with participants presenting poems and songs, helped with tips and techniques from the musicians. That evening an informal concert was held in the café with a local band and a blend of opera, art song, poetry, and country and western music. It was an atmospheric mix and ended with a sing-along to guitar by participants and audience alike.

Sunday was an early start for the singers and accompanist. The final session was in Lerwick at the Sound Hall, and four people came along to the day. All were singers and the day followed the same format as Saturday with an increased emphasis on singing techniques. There was a small concert on Sunday night which ended with a fantastically energetic rendition of ‘America’ from West Side Story.

This was the first of what is hoped will become an annual event to promote vocal music and the voice as an expressive arts tool in Shetland.