• Visit.Shetland.org>
  • About Shetland>
  • Music

Shetland Music

The Shetland Islands - which lie to the far north of Scotland, geographically (and perhaps even spiritually) as close to Norway as they are to the UK mainland - is a vibrant community already famed for its rich musical heritage.

spacer zoomShetland Music

The promotional CD ‘Music from Shetland’ , which was distributed with issue 73 of Songlines magazine, provides you with a current snapshot of the musical diversity and talent that exists within that small community, courtesy of some of its more recognised artists of today. Music continually influenced and shaped by the surrounding environment – land, sea, sky and especially its people.

This section of the website provides further information on the artists featured on the CD.

Believe it or not this is only a very small part of a much larger musical story just waiting to be explored.

Information on Shetland's annual music events and festivals can be found in the events section of this website.

Shetland Groups and Musicians

Fiddlers Bid
spacer

Shetland’s internationally renowned fiddle band who redefine the term "traditional". Their performance style has been compared to “....playing likes angels and devils at once”

View More Info
Chris Stout & Catriona McKay
spacer

Chris Stout (fiddle) and Catriona McKay (Scottish harp) have been hailed as a “musical collaboration made in heaven”. A hugely innovative duo who continually challenge existing boundaries of traditional music.

View More Info
Inge Thomson
spacer

Hailing from the remote island of Fair Isle, Inge explores innovative vocal harmonies and multi-instrumental textures. Her group ‘Harem Scarum’ recently collaborated with Will Oldham, aka Bonnie Prince Billy

View More Info
Fullsceilidh Spelemannslag
spacer

A heady gathering of top Shetland musicians who collectively, it’s said, “…have a passion for Nordic and Celtic traditions, Shetland music and rhubarb”. An explosive live band into the bargain

View More Info
Aly Bain
spacer

A Shetlander who genuinely needs no introduction. Internationally the most prominent artist ever to emerge from the islands much lauded music community - and still setting benchmarks after all these years!!

View More Info
Paul Johnston
spacer

The uber-dynamic front-man of Shetland’s international musical ambassadors ‘Rock Salt & Nails. Now also making waves as a solo artist - here featuring a track from his debut solo album’

View More Info
Jenna & Bethany Reid
spacer

A hugely acclaimed sisters pairing and group, they recently released their emotive new album ‘Escape’ - music inspired by the famed ‘Shetland Bus’ operation between Shetland and Norway during WWII

View More Info
Catriona Macdonald
spacer

Another high profile, internationally acclaimed ‘name’ from Shetland. A wonderfully dynamic and expressive fiddle player Catriona is also part of the international super-group / collaboration ‘String Sisters’

View More Info
Malachy Tallack
spacer

A writer and singer of contemporary songs, Malachy recently, and highly successively, supported ‘Runrig’ during a massive UK tour - directly at the behest of the band themselves

View More Info
Bryan Gear And Violet Tulloch
spacer

Unquestionably one of the most technically gifted fiddle players to emanate from Shetland in recent years, Bryan is joined by Violet Tulloch – Shetland’s internationally lauded piano accompanist (Aly Bain, Tom Anderson etc)

View More Info
Bongshang
spacer

A live taster from Shetland’s marvellous, traditionally inspired ‘underground’ band, currently returning following a five-year hiatus. Expect a new sonic eruption from this sleeping giant very soon. Ground-breaking sounds!!!

View More Info
Astrid Williamson
spacer

Previously the front-lady of ‘Goya Dress’, Astrid has more recently been forging a very successful solo career for herself. ‘Paperbacks’ is taken from her forthcoming, as yet untitled, new album

View More Info
Maggie Adamson & Brian Nicholson
spacer

Award winning young fiddle prodigy Maggie Adamson and local guitar maestro Brian Nicholson join forces to deliver some of the finest traditional fiddle / guitar music emanating from the islands today

View More Info
Rock Salt & Nails
spacer

A group more than well established on the international festival and music scene - their hallmark being their whirlwind live shows, which usually leave both them and their audiences breathless

View More Info
Filska
spacer

Filska’s world-wide reputation is built on Shetland’s fiddle playing tradition – with wonderful songs for good measure too. 'Filska' is local dialect meaning 'high spirited'. No more need be said!

View More Info
Lise Sinclair
spacer

Singer, songwriter and poet Lise Sinclair also hails from Fair Isle. Her contemporary work, currently attracting increasing international recognition, features the authentic music and language traditions of the Northern Isles

View More Info
Steven Spence
spacer

Hailing from Unst (Shetland’s, and therefore the UK’s, most northerly island) Steven is one of Shetland’s foremost composers, as well as being a wonderful fiddle player in his own right

View More Info
Hom Bru
spacer

Legends on the international folk scene, Hom Bru have been entertaining audiences with their own brand of music (and humour) for over 30 years, and they show no signs of stopping!

View More Info

The music section of this website is managed in partnership with Shetland Arts. For general enquiries on music in Shetland contact Bryan Peterson, Shetland Arts’ Music Development Officer - bryan.peterson@shetlandarts.org

What Next?

On This Site

  • Discover more about Shetland's eclectic culture
  • Why not plan a visit during one of the music festivals in Shetland?
  • Listen to some inspiring Shetland Music on 60-NORTH FM, whilst browsing our popular Webcam network

From Other Sites

  • Learn much more about Shetland Music
Please bookmark or share this page:
More
gipoco.com is neither affiliated with the authors of this page nor responsible for its contents. This is a safe-cache copy of the original web site.