Shetland-Music.com

Press release:

This year's Shetland Schools Music Festival, funded by the Scottish Arts Council Youth Music Initiative, is set to take place from the 8th to 12th March, and will again feature a packed programme of adjudicated music classes, performances, workshops and concerts, together with the Junior and Senior Young Musicians of the Year competition, throughout its five day run.

This year however the festival will be launched with a very special concert in Lerwick Town Hall on Sunday 7th March. The concert will feature an eclectic range of artists including some of Shetland's top young school-based performers and several of the festival workshop tutors and staff members who will be involved throughout the event itself, together with a vocal performance from the festival adjudicator Mr Eric Tebbett, a hugely acclaimed tenor in his own right.

Among those appearing on the bill will be Shetland's internationally renowned fiddler Jenna Reid and vocalist Andy Ross from Yell, pianist Nigel Hayward, fiddler / pianist Sophie Wishart - Junior Young Musician of the Year 2009 and vocalist Erin Sandison who was Senior Young Musician of the Year 2009.

There will also be a number of performances from school-based groups such as Shetland Youth Jazz, 'Tunester', the Saturday Morning Music Club Strings and the vocal group 'Quintet +1'.

Davie Gardner, the 2010 festival co-ordinator, said the intention was to launch this year's festival with a real musical bang. "This particular concert will not only launch the festival itself and also profile some of the musicians and tutors taking part in it", he said "but also hopefully illustrate to everyone the sheer range, depth and quality of music currently being taught in, and performed throughout, Shetland's schools. It should hopefully be an exciting and appropriate way to formally open this year's festival," he said.

This year's junior and senior 'Young Musician of the Year' competition will take place on Wednesday 10th March in Lerwick Town Hall from 7pm, while the festival Gala Concert will take place on Thursday the 11th March in the Clickimin Centre, Lerwick, again at 7pm. This concert will, as usual, feature many of the young musicians who either achieve personal success during the festival itself or who quite simply prove to be outstanding entertainers in their own right at the event.

Shetland Islands Council's Culture and Recreation Spokesperson Cllr Rick Nickerson said; "I am continually amazed at the wealth of musical talent that emerges through our education system and the festival is the perfect vehicle to feature this talent and at the same time allow the opportunity to enable our young folk to gain skills and confidence in a performance related environment."

All events start at 7pm in their respective venues, with doors opening at 6.30 each night.

Tickets for both the concerts, priced £8 and £5 concession, can be purchased direct from the Shetland Box Office at Islesburgh Community Centre or by calling them on either (01595) 745555 or 69 2114. All major credit cards are accepted.

The Young Musician of the Year Competition is a donations only event.