Reviews / ‘Beautiful music from a talented bunch of young people’ at awards event
“THE FUTURE of music in Shetland is in safe hands.”
So said Anne MacDonald, the adjudicator at the Shetland Young Musician of the Year competition which took place in the Mareel auditorium on Wednesday evening.
An appreciative audience turned out to listen to the musical talent of Shetland’s young folk, with representation from schools across Shetland.
Anne remarked that such a degree of confidence in young performers was unusual, and that she thought it must be something to do with the Shetland Islands’ air and water!
The competition to find the junior young musician of the year featured seven young performers.
Anna Stephen and Carly Johnston, both from Ollaberry Primary school, gave delightful and rhythmic performances of their chosen pieces on the piano, and I particularly enjoyed Anna’s Railroad Blues by Blackwell, and Carly’s rhythmic Tarentella by Lasko.
Zara Nicolson, from Bell’s Brae Primary, produced a lovely warm rounded tone on the clarinet and played a lively dance followed by the Richard Rodgers song My Favourite Things.
Tina Johnson, from Brae High School, produced lovely delicate piano playing for The Sad Ghost and Song of Twilight.
Richie Stein from Anderson High School, praised by the adjudicator for his lovely bowing technique on the violin, played a Ländler by Holst followed by a rhythmically energetic Prelude.
Lowrie Nicolson from Brae High School played a set of waltzes and a march on the accordion that made me want to get up and dance.
So who was the winner? We waited for the decision, while Vaila Gunn, last year’s winner, gave a performance of I’m Not That Girl from the musical Wicked.
Commenting on the high standard of the performances, the adjudicator said: “How do you choose?”
Camryn Cheney, from Scalloway Primary, had opened the concert, possibly the most nerve-racking position to be placed, but she stood confidently on the stage and sang Maybe from Annie and All Is Found, from the film Frozen.
It was for her communicative and beautifully delivered performance that she was awarded the junior young musician of the year 2025. Congratulations Camryn!
The second half of the evening was the competition to find the senior young musician of the year.
First to play was Eilith Gunn, from Brae High School, playing the violin.
An allegro by Tessarini, with complex scalic passages, was contrasted with a Nocturne by Boulanger, which was played from the heart with beautiful vibrato.
Andrew Laurenson from Anderson High School, who we were told plays every woodwind orchestral instrument except the piccolo, played the saxophone for his first appearance of the night with a maturity beyond his 13 years.
He made his instrument sing in his performance of Bennett’s Three Piece Suite and Weidoft’s Valse Vanite using a fantastic dynamic range, and rippling seemingly effortlessly over complex rhythms with poise and confidence.
Corey Burns gave an electric performance on the drums which certainly wasn’t one you could sleep through.
He gave the drum kit a real workout, playing Tommy the Cat by Primus, and The Kill by 30 Seconds to Mars.
The adjudicator commented on his magic feet, and the co-ordination and rhythmic timing he displayed was impressive.
Ellie Nicolson from Anderson High School, who is also the leader of Shetland Youth Orchestra, gave a delicate and nuanced performance on the violin of Boulanger’s Nocturne, followed by an energetic Hungarian dance by Nölck.
Martha Robertson, again from Anderson High School, sang The Sky Above the Roof by Vaughan Williams. It was a beautifully controlled performance, communicating the spirit of the song.
She followed this with Think of Me from Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, hitting the high notes in a technically difficult unaccompanied cadenza at the end of the song.
Then it was Andrew Laurenson’s turn to play again, this time on the bassoon. He began with the second movement of Mozart’s bassoon concerto in B flat, which he played as soloist with the Shetland Community Orchestra earlier this month.
He again delivered a fantastic range of dynamics on an instrument sometimes regarded as the comedy instrument of the orchestra, but also one of the most difficult orchestral instruments to play.
Hayden Millar’s set of tongue in cheek variations of Yankee Doodle was the final piece of the competition.
While the adjudicator decided the winner, we were treated to a performance by Annie Malcolmson, last year’s winner, playing an atmospheric unaccompanied piece on the flute, followed by a considered performance Liszt’s Liebesträume on the piano, with its beautiful melody in a technically difficult piece.
This year, Martha Robertson was named runner-up for her vocal performance, and Andrew Laurenson was named senior young musician 2025 for his performance on the saxophone.
He will go onto to represent Shetland in a national competition in Glasgow in May. Congratulations Andrew!
Those who were at the concert heard some beautiful music in a wide range of styles from a talented bunch of young people.
The adjudicator has said that on previous visits she was struck by how much music is a vital and thriving part of life on our islands. After tonight’s concert there can be no doubt that the future of music in Shetland is in safe hands.
By Chris Horrix
Tonight the Shetland Youth Music Festival will end with a gala concert, starting at 7pm in Mareel. It will feature a selection of the performances that have taken place across the week, including the winners of the junior and senior competition. A few tickets are still available from the Shetland Arts box office.
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