On the road again -the Shetland Isles

I arrived in Lerwick Tuesday morning having taken the overnight ferry from Aberdeen. Tuesday was a day of orientation, finding accommodation and facilities, but also making connections with people I’ve been in touch with in the last couple of weeks. I had an interview with the Shetland Times in the afternoon at the Mareel Arts Centre. That was interesting in itself, as the last time the RSNO came, it was still under construction. I then popped into the museum to check that everything is in hand for my concert with Lillie on 19th. The Boat Hall is a lovely space and I think, set amongst all that nordic history, it’s an inspiring place to play. I look forward to looking round the museum properly, maybe tomorrow.

I’m only staying in Lerwick for a couple of days before I move on, so in the morning I took the opportunity to rifle through some traditional music books in the music shop and to visit the library. There is a huge reference section on Shetland’s history and culture and it’s interesting to see that books on the Faroes and Iceland are filed in this section, too. Norse and Nordic culture are a very important part of Shetland’s distinct identity.