Two large Faroese choirs are due to visit Shetland in the near future and both will perform concerts in the islands in a partnership with Shetland Arts Trust music development project and a number of local musicians and dancers.

The first choir, ‘Rytmiska Korid i Hoydolum’, will perform a concert in the Mid Yell Hall on Friday the 22nd April, and another the following evening in the Methodist Church, Lerwick.

For the Yell concert the choir will be joined by local fiddle group Fiddle Finale, Shetland Folk Dance, the Mid Yell Choir and Ian Williamson, and the concert will be followed by a dance with ‘Leeshinat’.

Support for the Lerwick concert will come from young local choir Capella, Jillian Isbister, Fiddle Attraction and Shetland Folk Dance, while both concerts will include elements of traditional Faroese and Shetland dance.

The Faroese choir numbers 33 members in total and consists of present and former students from the Upper Secondary School in Torshavn, with an average age of 18. Although still relatively young they are veterans of several big musical performances in the islands Nordic House cultural centre, including Godspell and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. For the Shetland concerts they will be performing a more traditional Faroese and Nordic repertoire, alongside demonstrations of traditional Faroese  dance and dancing games.

Both concerts start at 7.30 and tickets are available on the door, price £5 and £3 concession.

Shetland Arts Trust Music Development Officer Davie Gardner said “This year we are planning to increase the number of exchange events we promote in partnership with our near Nordic neighbours and these events are just two of a number that will be happening in Shetland, Faroe and Norway. It seems logical that if we are in the process of increasing our economic links with these regions, we should seek to increase and develop our cultural ties in line with this. Faroe is famous for its top quality choirs, so these events should prove highly enjoyable from a purely musical perspective as well as serving the purpose of bringing the two communities closer together”.

At the end of May another Faroese choir, ‘Havnarkorid’, will visit Shetland to perform a concert in Islesburgh Community Centre, with the provisional date set for Satruday 21st May. Full details of this event will be published very shortly.

For further information contact Davie Gardner on (01595) 697550 or 07748-153574