Historic ballad to be pressed to vinyl after crowdfunder reaches target
WHAT is regarded as one of Shetland’s “oldest songs written down since the Sagas” is enjoying a new lease of life thanks to project led by a local musician.
Barry Nisbet spent 12 months “researching, rebuilding and preparing” the Hildina Ballad in a singable form – enlisting nearly 30 singers to bring it back to life at a recording session at Mareel last year.
A crowdfunding appeal to create 100 numbered vinyl records featuring the song has now reached its target, with more than £6,300 in total received. This includes £2,800 which has come through match-funding from Creative Scotland.
On one side of the 45rpm record will be a Shaetlan version, and on the other will be a Norn version. Highly regarded recording engineer Ken Blair was involved in the process, while artwork has been created by illustrator Meilo So.
“Now that we’ve hit 100 per cent, I can go ahead and put the production into motion,” he said this week.
“I’m planning to use Seabass, an Edinburgh-based pressing plant to produce the vinyl. Given their 11-week lead-time, the records will be ready in mid February.”
Nisbet, who hails from Yell, said he was “thrilled” to reach the target.
“It’s been great to see that folk are interested and keen to support the project, and I can’t wait to share the new record with them.”
He said the Hildina Ballad was written down in 1774, from the recitation of William Henry, a crofter in Foula.
Nisbet received funding from Creative Scotland in December 2024 to study and rebuild the Hildina Ballad in a form that could be sung and danced in the ring dance tradition that it likely formed part of.
As part of his project, Nisbet travelled to Faroe to learn more about the ballad tradition, which he described as the closest living relative of what Shetland once had. He created a version of the ballad informed by reconstructions from the likes of Sophus Bugge (circa 1894), Marius Haegstad (1900) and Jon Helgasson (1951).
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More than 60 people also gathered to learn about and dance a representation of the Hildina Ballad at the Shetland Folk Festival.
Nisbet said this was the first time a Shetland ballad was danced in Shetland for more than 200 years, “possibly since the ballad wis first collected in Foula in 1774”.
People can still put money into the crowdfunded in return for the vinyl, with higher value options including a chance to have your name printed into the lyric booklet.
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