Sounds from Shetland

Sounds from Shetland

with Alison and Yelena Anderson (fiddles) and Graham McDonald (piano)

Saturday 30th September 7:30pm

at St James the Less Church, Broomhill, EH26 9EE

Tickets from the Arts Centre café, 4 West Street, EH26 9DL,  or online by clicking here.

Alison and Yelena Anderson – Growing up in Shetland surrounded by music, mother & daughter Alison & Yelena Anderson enjoy playing traditional & folk music on the fiddle.  Drawing from their Nordic roots and influences from many amazing musicians, including those who have come to Shetland to play at festivals over the years.

Yelena gained the title of The Shetland Young fiddler of the Year in 2022 & won the All Scotland Junior Fiddle Solo Championship in 2021.  They both play in various groups including Hjaltibonhoga (the tattoo fiddlers) Alison first played at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 2014 & has played there every year since.  She has performed with Hjaltibonhoga in Australia, New Zealand, Oslo, Düsseldorf, Sardinia and with other groups also in Norway & Ireland.  Yelena played for the first time at the Edinburgh Tattoo at the young age of 11 in 2017 and played again for the following 2 years.

In the summer of 2021 Alison & Yelena had the opportunity to meet up with Graham McDonald, Penicuik’s much loved pianist, while he was visiting Shetland and they enjoyed sharing & playing music together.  At this time the idea was born of getting together & having the opportunity to play again by putting on a concert together.

Alison & Yelena are excited to have the opportunity to share their love of music and perform to you with Graham’s wonderful piano accompaniment.

Local musician Graham McDonald began his piano studies with local teacher Marion Anderson before studying music in Aberdeen  where he was taught by Robert Howie. He was awarded the Gina Dallas Harper scholarship at the North East of Scotland Music School and went on to study with Nigel Clayton from Royal college of Music, London. Graham spends his time teaching, both in school and also the Pentland School of Music which he founded in 2018, performing in a wide variety of musical genres/styles – both as soloist and collaborator, adjudicating at piano and music festivals and improvising at silent cinema events. He also spends a fair amount of time tuning and repairing pianos!