A gorgeous and evocative ode to Shetland
On the opening night of the Soundhouse Winter Festival (a new 5-day music festival in Edinburgh), the cold and dreich night was soon forgotten in the Traverse Theatre, as we were wrapped in the warmth of two gorgeous odes to Shetland.
Opening the show was a performance from Amy Laurenson, a phenomenally talented pianist from Shetland. The set comprised 10 songs, including those from her debut album “Strands” (which has been playing on a loop in my flat ever since this performance). The open upright piano was situated so Amy had her back to the crowd but the open upper panel of the piano meant her deft movements and the dancing piano hammers were visible to the audience. Bathed in a soft blue light, the rest of the room melted away, giving an intimacy to her dynamic performance. Starting with a solo rendition of Tom Anderson’s “Mareel”, Amy was joined on stage by guitarist Miguel Girão to accompany the remaining songs, interspersed with charming and soft-spoken anecdotes from Amy about their provenance. The guitar added an extra dimension to the piano, and across the performance, there was a uniting thread of familiar Scottish traditional music, with lilting modern influences and even jazz licks appearing on occasions. My particular favourites were “Freddie’s Tune” by the intriguing Friedemann Stickle, and the combination of “Tune for A.Lien”, fittingly composed by Catriona MacDonald and the traditional “Maggie o’ Ham”. A fantastic choice of opening act for what was to follow next.
Following the interval, we were dropped straight into 1930s life in Shetland, with “The Rugged Island”. Projected on the large screen, this black and white “story-documentary”, filmed in 1933, was directed by Glasgow-born filmmaker Jenny Gilbertson. On stage, we were joined by Shetland fiddle player Catriona Macdonald, and Fair Isle instrumentalist Inge Thomson, who provided an incredibly moving soundtrack to the film, in real time.
The film follows a year in the life of two crofting families in Shetland – Johnnie (the director’s real-life fiancé, John Gilbertson), a young crofter who loves neighbour Enga (played by Enga Stout), but is torn between the promise of a new life in Australia and the duty of care towards his family. We follow the seasons over the course of the year, and the associated crofting and domestic activities – peat stacking, tattie planting, herring fishing, as well as Fair Isle knitting, and breaking characteristically truculent Shetland ponies to harness. There’s a lightness and humour provided by Flora the dog, and Caddie the black caddy (i.e. orphaned) lamb, although the latter is at the crux of a crisis point at the film’s climax. The performances of the human cast are incredibly relaxed with one another, giving the heart and authenticity to the filming.
The film is entirely without dialogue, with handwritten letters appearing on screen in copperplate handwriting to move the plot forward, in addition to newpaper clippings and well-placed intertitles. Use of vocabulary particular to Shetland (e.g. peerie, where wee is used elsewhere) lends itself further to the location setting. However, the addition of the natural soundtrack, of waves crashing, seabirds calling, and the natural environment, enhances the performances of Catriona and Inge, creating an uniquely immersive experience. The music raising the drama and emotion on screen, and keeping the audience rapt through to the very conclusion of the film.
Overall, this was a remarkable example of the depth of Scottish creativity, adding a modern flair to footage recorded nearly a century ago. This was an exceptional experience and one which will be hard to beat for the remainder of the Soundhouse festival.
The Soundhouse Winter Festival, a new 5-day music festival in Edinburgh, runs from 28 November until 02 December 2024. Produced by the Soundhouse Organisation, it incorporates performances by some of the very best musicians from Scotland, showcasing some of the most exciting newcomers, and offers a full programme of workshops over this weekend.