The New Shetlander

PRESS RELEASE

Ivver Entrancin Wis, a suite of music for cello, harp, viola and voice, inspired by pieces from Shetlands body of poetry, past and present, will be the highlight of The New Shetlanders Christmas celebrations in the Town Hall on Thursday 9 December. The event will also feature storytelling and a reading by acclaimed Scottish poet and Editor Gerry Cambridge. The event is funded by Shetland Arts Trust, Classic Fair Isle and Shetland Council of Social Service.

The suite is the brainchild of Fair Isle musician and writer Lise Sinclair.  As a song-writer and singer in Fair Isle vocal band Friđarey, says Lise, I had started looking in poetry books for material which could form lyrics for new Shetland folk songs and had a revelation on finding just how much poetry is there. I was keen to use the opportunity to put the beautiful dark timbre of cello into a Shetland song so set Peter Jamiesons Da Boanni Fisher Lass for 4 cellos and voices for Friđarey to perform with Wendy Weatherby and Friends at Shetland Arts Trusts WORDPLAY 2003 Book Festival.

Lise and Wendy were very keen to collaborate again. Realising the beauty of so many Shetland poems and hearing Wendys suite on William Soutars poems at the Book Festival was inspirational for Lise: I was motivated by the way it brought new life to the poetry and indeed, light to Soutars work. Writing a Shetland piece, i.e. using Shetland poems in this way, was the obvious thing to do. I was keen to use brilliant young classical cellist Abby Hayward, who had enjoyed a bit of folk fusion with Wendy & Friends.

Not being cellist, and having no formal training in music, Lises first idea was to collaborate with Wendy on the writing but given the geographical separation this became impossible. But I had started borrowing and buying and reading the tomes of Shetlands poetry, Lise says, and the inspiration was there, the pieces started to form, by this time including harp and a Shetland viola sound.

Realising the project was well underway and keen to get it played, Lise began her planning and writing. Added to the official sponsors, she is very clear on whom she would like to thank: The positive encouragement from the poets themselves and the Director of Music from the R.S.M.D. in Glasgow was instrumental. I was also overwhelmed by the goodwill of the participants: Wendy, Dierdre Hayward (Cappella), Abby, Friđarey, Chris Stout and Catriona McKay. And nothing would have happened at all without my husband Ian, family and friends and my own 4 bairns who have not really, unlike me, doubted that I should be working at this kind of crazy scheme!

Ivver Entrancin Wis   includes and takes its title from Emily Milnes Wir Midder Da Sea and features poetry by Laurence Graham, Rhoda Bulter, Jim Moncrieff, L.J. Nicolson, Robert Alan Jamieson, Jim Mainland, Stella Sutherland, Peter Jamieson and Alex Cluness

Gerry Cambridge, born in 1959, is a poet, editor, and sometime-blues harmonica player. In his twenties he worked as a nature photographer and writer for publications including BBC Wildlife, The Countryman, and Readers Digest. His volumes of poetry include Nothing But Heather!, illustrated with his own natural history photographs, and Madame Fi Fis Farewell. He is the founder/editor of The Dark Horse, a Scottish-American poetry journal printing many top British and American poets and critics. Gerry Cambridge was the holder of the Brownsbank Writing Fellowship for 1997-1999, a writers residency based at Hugh MacDiarmids former home near Biggar, South Lanarkshire.

Im really pleased that Gerry is making a return visit to Shetland, says Shetland Arts Trust Literature Development Officer Alex Cluness. He is a stunning poet and a very lively and impressive reader of his own work. Hell be doing other things for the Literature Project while hes in Shetland as well and its great to have him performing his work at the New Shetlander bash as the round up to his week. Hes a great friend to Shetland.

George Mackay Brown once described Gerry Cambridge as One of the most promising and original of modern Scottish poets... a master of form and subtlety.

The New Shetlander Christmas Concert will take place at 7.30pm on Thursday 9 December 2004. Tickets cost 5 and 3 (concessions) and are available from Shetland Arts Trust, Pitt Lane, Lerwick. Telephone 01595 694001 for further information.

Further Information:

Ivver Entrancin Wis: Lise Sinclair 01595 760229
Classic Fair Isle: Betty Best 01595 760209
Gerry Cambridge: Alex Cluness 01595 694001
The New Shetlander: Shetland Council of Social Service 01595 693816
 

Friday 16th July
50th Anniversary evening celebration

More info later

9 - 11 July

ROCK, SALT & NAILS

&

SERPENTINE DRAMA
 

If you would like to take part in
 Serpentine's local production
you can sign up at
Stackhoull Stores.

More information shortly.

SHETLANDS newest theatre group Serpentine Drama, begin their debut tour Three Way in Fair Isle.

They will perform plays written for small casts with touring in mind. Walking Downhill by Anne Dickie tells of an encounter between three women in a supermarket, and deals with the themes of depression and families.

Jacqui Clark wrote Lookin tae da Staars in Shetland dialect about the tensions that develop in a family following a bereavement.

And Parting The Curtain is a monologue performed by writer Kathy Hubbard looking at the themes developed in the other two plays.

The group will also be working with local children and the community to create a new piece, which it will then perform as part of the project.

Serpentine co-founder Jacqui Clark said: We are all really excited about launching Serpentine in this way and we are looking forward to taking 3 Way into Fair Isle and then on to the Garrison and Baltasound.
 

FRIDAY  30^th APRIL
7:30pm
(Doors open at 7:00pm)
 

Tickets for the Fair Isle concert are only available from Stackhoull Stores 01595 760314 on Fair Isle
 

For this concert tickets are -

SFFS Members  5
Non-Members    8

Concessions *    4

*Concessions
Senior Citizens (over 60), Children, Students and those in receipt of Social Security Benefit, Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance (proof required)

ZAR Since 1996 Zar have striven and succeeded to renew the traditional songs and music of Denmark, 'With a touch of Gipsy, Jaz and Western Swing'.  All are talented musicians; two were classically trained at the Royal Academy in Copenhagen, another two studied at the Carl Nielsen Academy in Odense.  With such a classical grounding it is hardly surprising their musical interpretation displays an unparalleled identity and personality.  This is an achievement that is exemplified in their much-applauded second album "Tunsind Tanker" and by nominations for three National Music Folk Awards.

BROTHERS ZAMISKOVCI Since 1998, the Brothers Zamiskovci have been vigorously promoting the cultural musical identity of their home village Kalaczkov, situated under the High Tatras in the northern part of Slovakia.  This has seen them being widely regarded and renowned not only at home but also in Poland, Ukraine, Belgium and Holland.  Their style can be described as an interpretation of folk tradition from the Goral area of Slovakia and Poland using violin, accordion and bass to achieve their sound.

FRIDAREY The local Fair Isle group.

CAMEO Talented Norwegian duo Kari Bjerke Karlsen and Marit Jordbrk.

YF03 A local Shetland group.

PETER LYNCH Return of our Norwegian resident Irish friend.