Celtic Connections award for Peter’s group

A SHETLAND musician has won a Danny Kyle award at this year’s Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow.

Peter Keay, who plays bass in alternative folk trio The Magpies, said he was “over the moon” at picking up the rising talent prize on Sunday night.

The Glasgow-based group first performed on the festival’s Danny Kyle open stage in late January before being selected to play at the weekend’s final.

The six winners will each go on to play a support slot at a ticketed Celtic Connections event next year.

“It’s such an honour to be selected, and the chance to play at next year’s festival is a huge opportunity for bands like us to get some exposure,” Keay said.

“It’s been a big surprise to all of us. Our sound is quite different to the previous Danny winners, so we weren’t sure how well it would be received.”

The Magpies played four songs at the final event, including original tracks Here Again and Wait for the Sunrise as well as a cover of Black Horse and the Cherry Tree by KT Tunstall.

Keay isn’t the first Shetland winner on Danny Kyle stage, with singer-songwriter Arthur Nicholson bagging a prize in 2014 and fiddler Maggie Adamson previously landing an award. 

Shetland also enjoyed a wider influence during this year’s Celtic Connections festival, with a diverse range of musical performances benefiting from islanders’ input.

Local fiddler Ross Couper and collaborator Tom Oakes launched their debut album Fiddle & Guitar on Saturday, and they joined on stage at the National Piping Centre by Ross’ mother Margaret Couper.

Theatrical production Hirda – which is inspired by Shetland heritage and was written in collaboration between Chris Stout and composer Gareth Williams – also took to the stage.

Fair Isle-raised musician Inge Thomson also performed alongside leading Scottish folk singer Karine Polwart and the Scottish Symphony Orchestra for Polwart’s powerful and dramatic piece I Burn But I Am Not Consumed, addressing Donald Trump’s presidency, during the festival’s opening night jamboree.