This year marked the return of Folk Frenzy since it's last round in 2019 - a very welcome return, indeed!
Classes for Folk Frenzy pass holders were hosted between Mareel and the Shetland Museum and Archives, both feeling especially lively with the sound of learning all week as our Folk Frenzy-ers worked hard to develop their skills and techniques, in preparation for the final concert on Friday night where they would perform along with their tutors. Mareel's cafe bar was particularly lively in the evenings as musicians gathered together for sessions.
Curator Kevin Henderson and his team of brilliant tutors Amy Laurenson, Andrew Gifford and Jenna Reid did a fantasic job of leading participants through their classes, as well as workshop leaders Tim Matthew and David Boyter who lead the Fiddle Tech and Guitar workshops in the programme. Two other workshops were lead by Amy and Jenna in addition to their regular classes, Traditional Improvisation and How to Practice.
Two excursions were included in the Folk Frenzy pass - a trip to St Ninian's Isle to enjoy a bonfire on the iconic beach with some tunes, and a trip out to Eshaness to visit the birthplace of esteemed Shetland musician, Tom (Tammy) Anderson. Though these didn't quite go to plan with Shetland's unpredictable weather putting a (literal) dampening on things, tunes within the warmth of Bigton Hall after a superb supper sufficed for the south end visit and things had thankfully dried up by the time of the Eshaness trip.
The concerts which took place at the end of the week were the perfect way to finish on a high note for this year. On Thursday night, the tutors gave a stellar performance along with local band Vair. Friday night saw the tutors take to the stage once again, though this time accompanied by their students from the week to show off their hard work, as well as Haltadans giving a perfromance.
Finally, we'd like to say thanks to everyone who joined us for this year's festival - we hope you enjoyed yourselves.
