Glasgow’s annual international music festival Celtic Connections kicked off this week and Shetland is once again set to be well represented at the event.  Among the household names appearing are Aly Bain, Catriona Macdonald, Filska, Inge Thomson and Catriona MacKay, all of whom are making high profile appearances during the festival.

Tucked in among the more prominent local names however are a few that are, currently at least, less well known on the international music scene, two of whom are set to make their Celtic Connections debut.

Sixteen year old Jillian Isbister from Aith, who’s recently been making quite an impact on the vocal scene at home and further afield , will be appearing on the ‘Danny Kyle Open Stage’ on Friday the 21st January, as will Unst fiddler Steven Spence, who will be accompanied by Alice Mullay and Jonathon Ritch.

It is hoped that Jillian’s appearance will add to her increasing national profile, following on from the regular airplay she received for her ‘Track’s North’ CD contribution (‘Imagine’) on BBC Radio Scotland, where Senior Music Producer Stewart Cruickshank commented that she “…..could give Joss Stone a run for her money”.

Local fiddle group ‘Swingin’ Fiddles’ will also be appearing on the Open Stage the following weekend, on Saturday the 29th January, having gone down a storm at the same event last year, where they attained a hard-to-win ‘Specially Commended’ accreditation.

The Open Stage is a more informal, but no less important, part of the festival and is viewed as the key vehicle that could lead to increased participation in the event in future years. Although not entirely a competitive element of the festival, the open stage does never-the-less produce ‘winning’ acts, largely based on audience response, who are invited back to participate in the festival before this years conclusion and at next years event.

Shetland Arts Trust Music Development Officer Davie Gardner “It’s terrific that Shetland musicians once again command such a prominent role at such a prestigious festival. Even thought the festival is Scottish based this guarantees no-one an automatic place. Slots are very hard to come by given the demand to play the festival and the international approach the organisers adopt. The number of local acts appearing this year says much about the quality of what we continue to produce. Over 100 delegates from international music festivals across the world will also be attending these showcases, so it’s also a fantastic opportunity for our musicians to promote themselves in the international marketplace”.

Celtic Connections runs until the 31st January and is headlined by acts such as Dr. John, Billy Bragg and Shane McGowan.

For further information contact:  Davie Gardner on (01595) 697550.