Shetland-Music.com

This was Shetland's foremost band through the 1960s, although it played very little in public.

It was formed in 1963 by a group of leading local musicians - all of whom played regularly in their own dance bands - who came together to make recordings. The original line-up was: Fiddle - Willie Hunter; Accordion - Ronald Cooper and Jim Halcrow; Piano - Eric Cooper; Bass - Willie Johnson; Drums - Drew Robertson.

Their first L.P. record entitled 'Dance to the Hamefarers' came out the same year. The band's distinctive style, together with the tunes of Ronnie Cooper brought to a wide audience for the first time, created a huge impression in Scottish dance band circles.

It was 1975 before the band did a Scottish tour, and a second L.P. This was 'A Breath o' Shetland', recorded in Edinburgh, with the line-up of Willie Hunter - fiddle; Jim Halcrow - first accordion; Jim Johnston - second accordion; Ronnie Cooper - piano; Jack Robertson - bass; Bobby Colgan - drums. This record again featured tunes by Ronnie Cooper along with five other Shetland composers.

Sadly, Ronnie took ill and was unable to go on tour again with the band in 1981. A new record in the making was delayed; after Ronnie died in 1982 his colleagues completed the job and produced the Hamefarers' final work, a 14 track cassette recording issued as a tribute to Ronnie Cooper.

The band's last live performance was in Sound Hall on 7th May 1987, recorded for BBC Scotland's dance music programme 'Take The Floor'. The final line-up was Willie Hunter - fiddle; Jim Halcrow - first accordion; Ian Nicolson - second accordion; Hazel Halcrow - electric piano/bass; Douglas Johnston - drums.