Proud Michelle receives award for late father

LATE SHETLAND Folk Festival stalwart Davie Henderson has been given a posthumous award for the contribution he made to Scotland’s traditional music scene.

Henderson’s daughter Michelle Henderson said she was “truly honoured” to receive the award on her father’s behalf at a ceremony in Glasgow on Friday night.

The annual Hamish Henderson award for services to traditional music was introduced in 2003 to recognise individuals who the genre “couldn’t do without”. Hamish Henderson – who has been described by some as “the most important Scottish poet since Robert Burns” – won the inaugural award.

Winners since then have contributed to a virtual “who’s who” of the Scottish music industry, with Davie Henderson – who died suddenly at the age of 63 earlier this year – this weekend becoming the latest to join an illustrious list.

Shetland Folk Festival committee members described him as “instrumental to the development and success” of the popular event in the past two decades.

“He was Shetland’s ultimate ambassador wherever he went and in the way he ensured visiting artistes to the festival received a first class welcome,” the committee said in a joint statement.

“Not only that, he was driven by providing a platform for nurturing and showcasing Shetland’s rich talent of local musicians. His legacy will live on for many years to come. We are absolutely delighted his hard work and total dedication has been acknowledged in this way.”

Earlier this month Davie’s son Kevin Henderson announced that he would be carrying on his father’s pre-Christmas “spree” event, with Boys of the Lough headlining three concerts in early December.