News / Mandolin band getting set for recording and concert
THE SHETLAND Mandolin Band is set for a busy weekend with the recording of their first CD followed by a live concert at Mareel on Saturday evening.
The band, formed two years ago, will be recording with Mareel’s technicians all day and hope to release the CD in time for Christmas.
Later the same day the 30-strong group will put on a concert showcasing the wide variety of music they play from around the world. From Argentinian tangos and Portugese hornpipes to Italian polkas and original Shetland blues, the community band, comprising players of all ages and abilities, will host an entertaining concert also featuring Haltadans and the High Level Hot Club.
Maurice Henderson, Grant Nicol, Lois Nicol, Ewen Thomson and John Clark are already well known in music circles as Haltadans and will engage the audience with their usual, slick musicianship and chat.
Perhaps not so well known yet, but already showing great promise, the youngsters that form the High Level Hot Club will be performing some of their expanding repertoire. Band members are Tabitha Johnson on double bass with Lulu Johnson, Daisy Anderson and Artur Vavilov on guitars.
Jenny Henry of the Shetland Mandolin Band said: “We’ve had a busy couple of months rehearsing for our concert and the recording, but it’s pretty much coming together now.
“We’ve had one or two hiccups on the way with one of our guitarists unable to play, and our regular bass player having to be off the island on the 11th, but we’ve managed to hijack Norman ‘Girsie’ Goudie who’s agreed to take over the bass role, for which we’re very thankful.”
Shetland Mandolin Band’s first meeting was in November 2015 and they usually meet fortnightly, but have been practising weekly in the run-up to the recording and concert.
The band is open to all mandolin players, and players of mandolin family instruments, and usually has piano, bass and guitar accompaniment. The youngest band member at present is 12 years old, and the oldest is in his seventies.
- Tickets for the concert are available now from Mareel or online here and are priced at £14 (£12 concessions). Doors open at 7.30pm for an 8pm start. Pre-orders of the CD made on the night will cost £10 (cash or cheque only) and it will retail at £12.99 (including postage and packaging) thereafter.
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