• Home
  • Blog
  • Shetland Musicians 2013 Trad Awards
By Alastair HamiltonDecember 21st 2013
Alastair Hamilton

The work of three Shetland fiddlers has been recognised in the 2013 Scottish Traditional Music Awards, presented at a recent concert in Aberdeen.

Blazin" Fiddles, the band in which Jenna Reid plays, emerged as Best Band. Chris Stout was presented with the award for Best Instrumentalist and the late Willie Hunter (1934 - 1994) became a member of the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame.

You can sample the playing of all of them on YouTube: Willie Hunter appears centre stage with Aly Bain and Violet Tulloch. Chris Stout appears with harpist Catriona McKay; and Jenna Reid (in white) appears with Blazin" Fiddles.

Shetland has a strong and distinctive fiddle tradition which is very much alive, thanks to the foundations laid by Tom Anderson (1910 - 1991) and Willie Hunter. Chris Stout was taught by Willie Hunter, Aly Bain by Tom Anderson and Jenna Reid by both. Today, children continue to learn the fiddle and the islands produce a steady stream of new instrumentalists and bands.