Shetland Arts is delighted to announce that Fiddle Frenzy 2013, Shetland Arts’ annual week of workshops and events celebrating the Shetland fiddle tradition, now celebrating its 10th year, will be curated this year by sisters Jenna & Bethany Reid. Headline acts to include Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham, and Lau.

Together, Jenna and Bethany Reid have played for many years, most notably with Shetland fiddle quartet Filska and in Jenna’s solo oufit The Jenna Reid Band. Their most recent collaboration saw the release of their self penned album ‘Escape’ in 2010, which commemorated the story of Norwegian Soldier Jan Baalsrud and his survival during the World War two operations know as the Shetland Bus. This year the sisters are set to record with Rant, an unaccompanied fiddle quartet in which they join forces with highland fiddlers Sarah Jane Summers and Lauren MacColl.

Jenna is one of Shetland’s leading exponents of the local fiddle tradition, and has played professionally since graduating with a BA in Traditional Scottish Music from The Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow. She has toured with many bands and is a member of Blazin Fiddles.

Bethany has also played from a young age, being the youngest ever to win Shetland’s coveted Shetland Young Fiddler of the Year award. Graduating in 2008 with a BA in Applied Music, Bethany currently teaches music at St Ninians High School in Glasgow.

Jenna and Bethany said: “We are delighted to be involved as curators at this year’s Fiddle Frenzy.  For many years we have been warmly invited to return as fiddle tutors, taking part in classes and performances – a rare treat in our musical calendar. Our Shetland Bus CD launch is a great memory for us, with the Shetland Arts’ Fiddle Frenzy team going to every length to make a very special event. We hope you enjoy what we bring to the festival this year, it’s an honour to make the 10th Fiddle frenzy another special week for all involved.”

Gwilym Gibbons, Director of Shetland Arts said: “Shetland Arts is delighted to welcome Jenna and Bethany Reid back to Shetland to work with our team to create a very special programme for Fiddle Frenzy on its tenth anniversary. We are also happy to be hosting Fiddle Frenzy in Mareel for the first time ever, and look forward to the venue becoming the home of the festival in future years.”

Fiddle Frenzy has grown to attract around 100 students each year from within Shetland, across the UK, Europe and as far afield as Australia, Canada and America. As always, this 10th anniversary week of celebrations will focus on workshops in traditional fiddle tunes and techniques, taught by a range of local tutors. Options to explore Shetland and experience local culture will also be speckled across the week. This year, Fiddle Frenzy will find a new home in Mareel, providing for the first time a festival hub for workshops, evening concerts and the Festival Club. Some workshops will also take place in Shetland Museum & Archives.

Evening concerts showcasing local and visiting traditional talents will take place in Mareel on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evenings, with some out of town events including a homecoming night for Jenna & Bethany at the Quarff Hall on Friday. With some detail of the programme still be to confirmed, Shetland Arts is delighted to announce at this stage that Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham will return to celebrate the 10th year, headlining the Monday evening concert, and Lau, winners of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards’ Best Group 2013 Awards, will headline Wednesday evening.

For the first time, student packages will be available to buy on Shetland Box Office including a full week package, allowing flexible options for classes/trips and concerts, a workshop only package, as well as tickets for individual events. For more information on packages and booking, visit www.shetlandarts.org/fiddlefrenzy or email fiddle.frenzy@shetlandarts.org. All packages and concerts tickets will go on sale on Friday 1st March at 2pm, online at www.shetlandboxoffice.org, in person at Mareel or Islesburgh or phone 01595 745555. Early booking is recommended to avoid disappointment.

Source: Shetland Arts