Back to Lerwick

It’s funny how reassuring that concert touring routine can be: travel in the morning, find digs, grab lunch, rehearse, grab tea, concert, beer.

This wasn’t your average touring day, though. The journey involved having our way barred by a herd of Shetland ponies, two ferries and the Shetland weather on it’s absolute best behaviour. Our digs are a luxury designer flat looking over the rooftops to the harbour. The concert venue was the inspiring Boat Hall in Shetland museum alongside the old sixareen, with Hay’s Dock and the sea behind us. Playing there offered a constant reminder of the Nordic culture behind our programme.

We played a varied programme including Lillie Harris new piece AND, depicting the worst of Shetland’s weather. (We’re almost feeling bad about that now as the weather has been so kind to us!). A more traditional take on Shetland came from Tom Anderson. People always love the humour in Kristian Blak’s “…tad heilur gongur av lagi.” Iceland was represented by my own reminiscences of Tvisongur, folk songs and Kentish’s variations on “Kvinnan Froma”. Gretel Ehrlich’s book “This Cold Heaven” sets the scene perfectly for a taste of Inuit music as does the “estremo lontano” movement of Ruders’ “Autumn Collection.”

Today is Lillie’s last day. Not only is her new piece fabulous, but she’s been a great accompanist and schools’ workshop partner.