Arts / ‘Dream come true’ as Canadian fiddlers to play Mareel gigs
MULTI-award-winning Canadian fiddlers Natalie McMaster and Donnell Leahy are headed to Shetland next week – with two of their children set to perform too.
They will perform at Mareel in Lerwick on Tuesday 27 May and Wednesday 28 May.
McMaster will be a well-known name to many fans of traditional music in Shetland, given the strong links between Cape Breton and the isles over recent years.
She was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2006 and has won two JUNO Awards and 19 East Coast Music Awards.
Leahy meanwhile led the family band Leahy to double-platinum status, won three JUNO Awards and was the subject of the Academy Award-winning documentary The Leahys: Music Most of All.
Their combined careers have seen them record with a list of collaborators including Yo-Yo Ma, Michael McDonald, Alison Krauss, Thomas Dolby, The Rankin Family, Rhiannon Giddens, Johnny Reid, Nickelback and more.
Promoter Briggistanes Events has also announced that the line-up will include the couple’s two eldest children, Mary Frances and Michael Leahy.
Mary Frances, 19, is a fiddler, dancer, pianist and composer now carving her way as a solo performer with the release of her debut album First Light.
Michael Leahy, 17, is also a multi-talented performer – a guitarist, accordion player and dancer.
Local support comes from recent winners of the Shetland Young Fiddler of the Year competition.
Burra’s Kristie Williamson, the winner of the 2024 young fiddler event, will open Tuesday’s concert.
Ami Grains, from Vidlin, who is the newly crowned 2025 Young Fiddler of the Year, will take to the stage to open the show on Wednesday night.
Gemma Donald of Briggistanes Events said it is a “dream come true” to welcome McMaster and Leahy to Shetland.
“Natalie has been a major influence on so many local musicians over the years, and having the opportunity to host them at Mareel is incredibly special,” she said.
“We are over the moon to be welcoming Natalie and Donnell to Shetland for the first time and even more thrilled that Mary Frances and Michael will be joining them.
“Natalie has been a huge influence to many Shetland fiddlers over the years, including myself, and we are so delighted to have the opportunity to host them here and can’t wait to share their electric live performances with Shetland audiences.
“We’re also thrilled to feature rising local talent like Kristie and Ami—it’s a real celebration of fiddle music from both sides of the Atlantic.”
Tickets are available from Shetland Arts – in person at Mareel, phone 01595 745500 or visit shetlandarts.org.
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