Shetland-Music.com

By the 1960s, Shetland's own musical heritage was once again in the spotlight and this seemed to light the 'blue touch paper' for everything that followed. Suddenly names who were ultimately to become synonymous with Shetland's music tradition seemed to spring from the musical woodwork.

Names such as Frank Jamieson, Ronnie Cooper, Willie Hunter, Arthur Scott Robertson and Ian Burns, all of whom pushed against traditional boundaries, upping the ante, as it were, by taking Shetland music into the wider world. All are no longer with us, but they remain highly important and influential to this day.

Then there were the near-legendary dance bands such as the Hamefarers (guess where that name came from) and the Milkshakes - led by the one and only Jimmy Burgess - still a highly important cog in the local traditional music wheel to this day.

Aly Bain and Peerie Willie

Then there are others borne from the same era, who continue to carry the torch of the tradition to this day, including Aly Bain, Jim Halcrow and acclaimed accompanists such as 'Peerie' Willie Johnson (who ultimately returned from London and is now a 'grand old man of 85) and Violet Tulloch (piano).

By now Shetland's music was growing rapidly in stature and Scottish based record labels were more than just interested. The mass production of the 45 rpm single and greatly improved transport links inevitably brought more music and influences to the islands than ever before, but this time strengthening the culture rather than threatening it. Perhaps more importantly, these elements became a vital tool in taking the music of Shetland to a greater external audience than could ever have been initially imagined.

Throughout this time, most notably during the early 1970's, Tom Anderson was still driving forward his personal Shetland music crusade, aiming to strengthen still further the foundations on which to build its protection and ongoing development.

Seeing young people as being crucial to maintaining the tradition for the future, he set about lobbying the head of the local authority education department to introduce traditional music tuition throughout Shetland schools. He was ultimatley successful and, very appropriately, became Shetland's first schools based music tutor.