On a Wing and a Prayer – Travelling sustainably in Shetland

Tickets for On a Wing and a Prayer with Renzo Spiteri 20th September in Shetland are now available here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk

My latest project, “On a Wing and a Prayer”, focuses on habitats and species under threat in our changing climate. In Shetland, Renzo Spiteri and I are focusing on the stresses faced by the seabird population and the changing face of Shetland’s moorlands and peatlands. Our music moves from a state of serenity and harmony with nature, through a landscape trampled over by humankind and on to a state where, hopefully, we can find a state of equilibrium between nature and human beings.

As part of the project, I want to ask myself, “Is it impossible to make this journey by bike or public transport?” and I want to open a conversation with colleagues and audiences alike about their own travel experiences, positive or otherwise. In doing so, I hope to inspire small changes but also ancourage people to open up to the sights and sounds of the environment around them

Working in Shetland with Renzo this summer presented several challenges, the main one being that I needed both the viola and the viola d’amore and I can’t carry both by bike at the same time. I could, however, still walk the bike, complete with luggage, with me carrying the two instruments, and travel by train and boat to Shetland.

My next decision was where to stay. Really, I wanted to stay out in West Mainland, close to where I was working. That way, I could have cycled all the way to and from rehearsals each day. However, given that I had two instruments, I needed to be able to take everything there by public transport and then come back to Lerwick for my bike. Additionally, I needed to be able to shop for food after rehearsals. With Shetland’s weather, it’s also necessary to think about how I’d travel if winds went over 40mph. In such a sparsely populated part of the islands with just a few buses, it was going to prove tricky to balance all these things.

Back to the drawing board and poring over bus timetables! In the end, I decided that the best compromise was to stay on a frequent bus route so that I could easily use Lerwick as a hub, and where there was a shop close to my accommodation. That way, I could do part of the journey by bike and part by bus. I took the instruments over to Renzo’s one at a time, meaning I could cycle with them.

Unfortunately, that meant that on the shortest leg of my journey I had, somewhat perversely, to accept a lift by car from Renzo. Physically, I could easily have walked those 5 miles from the bus, but there simply wasn’t time to fit in a rehearsal and then pick up the return bus.

So what would need to change so that I could have avoided car travel altogether? A more frequent bus service is the most obvious answer, but actually, something as simple as fitting racks to the back of buses to extend my range would have worked. (I’m very pleased to say that my local Ember bus service between Dundee and Glasgow is doing this and also allows you to book a bike space.) Another issue that springs from car dependency is that local shops become unsustainable as people shop in superstores. Again, had I been able to find accommodation in West Mainland close to a shop, then staying there and commuting by bike would have been much more possible.

You might ask yourself, why deal with all these problems? Firstly, I feel passionately that, as somebody who is physically able to, I should do what I can to travel sustainably. (I should state that I do understand that for some people, car travel is absolutely necessary and I do not begrudge them that. Indeed, it’d be pretty impossible for my colleague Renzo to transport his instruments without a car!). Using local facilities also supports them and ensures that they remain open, keeping communities alive. I did all my food shopping in Sandwick in a shop that is also a community hub and noticeboard – a place people meet and talk to each other.

It’s not all altruistic, though. One night I cycled from Levenwick to the Mousa Boat to experience the storm petrels at the Broch. Afterwards, I cycled back 6 miles at 2am on empty roads. The glow of the simmer dim was on the northern horizon and the golden moon was rising over the inky blue sea. Moments like this make all the time and physical effort 100% worthwhile. I hold them in my head and one day, they’ll find their way into pieces of music, like these early sketches here for one of our pieces, “Serenity.”

On a Wing and a Prayer is supported by Creative Scotland.