Shetland 550: Ross & Ryan Couper with Jenna Reid & Harris Playfair *CANCELLED*

Shetland 550, Celtic Connections’ anniversary concert series celebrating those islands’ distinctive Nordic/Scottish culture, would hardly be complete without a show spotlighting their proudest cultural export: Shetland fiddle music. Representing the tradition are three of its most exciting contemporary exponents, duetting with an all-Shetland cast of accompanists. 

 

Alongside her work with Blazin’ Fiddles and Rant, Jenna Reid was voted Composer of the Year at the 2019 Scots Trad Music Awards, and has released five solo albums. Here she renews her long and fruitful sparring partnership with the brilliantly adventurous pianist Harris Playfair. What with being siblings, Peatbog Faeries fiddler Ross Couper and his guitarist brother Ryan have played together even longer, and finally made their superb album debut, And Den Dey Made Tae, under lockdown in 2020. Anya Johnston and George Spence are both winners of Shetland's Young Fiddler of the Year contest , while Anya reined supreme at the National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs’ Junior Championship in 2019. Both of these young musicians currently study at the RCS in Glasgow and will be accompanied on piano by celebrated musician and teacher Margaret Robertson MBE (who’s also the Couper boys’ Mum).