Entertainment / Shetland Accordion & Fiddle Festival kicks off for its 36th year
The festival promises something for everyone, with dozens of bands, dances and concerts on each night, and the much-loved Grand Dance at the Clickimin
THE THIRTY sixth Shetland Accordion & Fiddle Festival (SAFF) opened at Islesburgh Community Centre on Thursday afternoon to a busy crowd, writes Sarah Cooper.
Photos: Sarah Cooper
Chair of the committee Peter Leask took to the stage describing this year’s programme as “excellent and varied”.
He said: “There’s plenty of variety. We’ve got local musicians, people coming from Scotland, Ireland, Norway, and the United States so there should be something for everyone.”
Local fiddler and sailor Maggie Adamson was giving the honour of opening the event. Adamson attended her first SAFF in 2001, and said it was an honour to be asked, adding: “I find it a lot easier to go and play a tune than do a speech, but you look out and it’s a hall full of smiling faces, so it puts you at ease.”
She spoke to a packed audience in Room 16 at Islesburgh, saying: “The Shetland Accordion & Fiddle Festival is really special for a lot of reasons but what sticks out for me is hosting the visiting artists, what a lot of tunes that you get, and stories, even over the breakfast table.
“I think the festival’s a rare chance for lots of musicians to get together and play in different line-ups with different folk all weekend, whether that’s in the back of a bus, on the deck of a ferry or I’ve even seen tunes in the lift. I’m sure we’ll see lots of it this year as well.”
Islesburgh remains the ‘festival hub’ throughout the event, where a variety of concerts and sessions will take place over the course of the weekend.
Malm Trekksillklubb, a group of 18 musicians, have travelled from Norway to perform here on the isles. They gave the audience a preview of what to expect, playing traditional Norwegian music. They kicked off with an upbeat polka called Happiness, composed by one of their members.
The orchestra features musicians of all ages and have been playing for 50 years. Performing in this year’s SAFF is part of their jubilee celebrations.
This year’s event follows the same format as last year with two dances each night and two concerts. Friday night’s dances are at the festival hub, and the Whiteness and Weisdale Hall, while the evening concerts are held at the halls on South Nesting and Central Dunrossness.
The afternoon featured music from a variety of visiting musicians, including Grammy-nominee Charlie Walden and Patt Plunkett, a husband-and-wife duo who have travelled over from the United States.
Saturday sees the return of the much-anticipated youth concert, featuring a number of young Shetland musicians, at the festival hub at 10.30am, while the rest of the day will have plenty of sessions and dancing on.
Twelve bands will take to the stage at the Clickimin on Saturday night for the grand dance, giving attendees the opportunity to partake in some Scottish and Shetland dancing.
There will be plenty of crowd favourites, and some more complicated dances on offer for everyone to try.
During her opening remarks Adamson said: “You canna speak about the festival and not mention the grand dance. What a spectacle. It’s just as great night to be involved in.
“It was always an ambition and then an honour to play in one of the bands for the grand dance. You see all the young folk coming in and mastering the dances, it’s fantastic to see.”
The Ewan Galloway Scottish Dance Band closed the afternoon, playing some Irish waltzes and a two-step.
Galloway reflected on the importance of traditional music in Scotland, saying: “People’s mindsets changed after Covid and live music is so important.
“Keeping this type of music going is so important. It’s part of the heritage here, it’s always been here, and we don’t want to lose it.”
The festival runs until Sunday, closing with two final concerts held at the Royal British Legion and the festival hub.
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