Orkney Music & A Group of Norwegians

Then the music of the Kirkwall City Pipe Band hit my ears and I was hooked, with Skara Brae far out of my mind, like a bird flying away on the wind. Then I asked a Norwegian what was happening, and he relayed that today they were marking the 200th Anniversary of the Norwegian Constitution Day and the Orkney Norway Friendship Association’s 35th year of celebrating this annual event. The day, apparently had begun with a service at the Norwegian war graves in St Olaf’s Cemetery. Then, at midday, the annual “Tog” or parade had made its way through the streets to St Magnus Cathedral. So, as you can imagine, there were speeches and the local children from four local schools sang, well some did a bit too softly to be heard, but the teacher playing the keyboard could be heard perfectly!

The Pipes and Drums did play a couple of more reels, before they departed, by this time many of the people who had been outside had moved into the Cathedral for The Orkney Traditional Music Project Lunchtime Concert. Well let me tell you friends there is a lot to do here Kirkwall and a lot of musicians to listen too as well. My feet have barely stopped tapping to the all the music I have heard for the past week. I feel quite immersed in the local traditional music. I bought a book of music call The Orkney Collection, from which so much of the music played this lunchtime was played from, with all proceeds going to the OTM Project, where instruments are provided to children and young people to learn how to play the music of the islands that is so important to maintain their musical heritage.

Back at The Reel this evening was an informal music evening taking place by four violinist, three guitars, a banjo players, an accordion player, a recorder & flutist player, an expert player of the bodrhan, and three singers, one of whom also played the spoons. There is about twenty people here listening, but when the eleven musicians stop, there was thunderous applause, then quiet conversations and the gentle clinking of cutlery at the bar as people order hot drinks or Orkney beer, like Northern Lights or Scapa Special. Later the Wringey sisters join in, with Jennifer on the piano and Hazel with fiddle in hand, while their figures danced and made the traditional music of the Orkneys come alive!