Entertainment / Celtic music virtuosos to play three concerts in the isles
TWO stand-out artists in the world of Celtic music are combining forces for a trio of shows in the islands at the start of next month.
Shetland fiddler Kevin Henderson and American pianist Neil Pearlman will perform upstairs at The Dowry in Lerwick on Friday 1 November and at the Muckle Roe Hall the following night, before rounding off the weekend with a late afternoon show at Hymhus in Bigton on Sunday 3 November.
The Transatlantic duo have set stages alight from Scotland to California in recent years, with both known for a high-energy, joyful and fresh approach to the tradition.
They offer a combined sound that is fiery yet precise, moving from heart-wrenching airs to sparkling reels in the blink of an eye.
Kevin and Neil’s debut album Burden Lake, launched in January 2020 at Celtic Connections, features original tunes from both in conversation with traditional Shetland melodies.
It received a five-star review in The Scotsman and has been lauded as “cold pressed perfection” by folkworld.eu, while Fatea Magazine raves that the “sheer virtuosity of the musicianship is breathtaking”.
Kevin – well known on these shores and beyond through his work with Fiddlers’ Bid, Session A9, Nordic Fiddlers’ Bloc and Boys of the Lough – said: “I’m really looking forward to coming home to play these concerts with Neil.
“It will be the first time we’ve been to Shetland together since we started playing together back in 2019, so I’m very excited to let folk hear what we do.
“We had plans to come previously, but obviously the pandemic put pay to that, so it’s great we can finally make it happen. Neil is an amazing musician and folk are in for a treat when they hear his piano playing.”
Neil – recognised throughout the Celtic music world for his distinctive approach to piano and as an in-demand collaborator, session musician and educator – added: “I can’t wait to play our music in Shetland for the first time.
“It’s been a couple of years since our first album Burden Lake came out, so this trip is overdue!
“We’ll play a lot of music from that album, but we’ll also be debuting some brand new material (both original and traditional) that we’ve been putting together for our next album. Looking forward to some great evenings!”
Support at the Dowry comes from Danny Kyle award-winning singer-songwriter Arthur Nicholson, while concertgoers at Muckle Roe will be able to soak up the “good old country tunes” of female six-piece Da AnnLynn Sessions.
Tickets for Kevin Henderson & Neil Pearlman’s shows at The Dowry (Fri 1 Nov), Muckle Roe Hall (Sat 2 Nov) and Hymhus, formerly Bigton Kirk (Sun 3 Nov – afternoon show) are on sale now here.
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