Review of 2009
Viking World Celebrated During Johnsmas
There follows here an overview of the Johnsmas Foy 2009, together with a brief insight into, and information on, just some of the events that comprised this uniquely Shetland event.
The central theme of this year's event saw a range of exciting Viking attractions mixed with music and maritime events held throughout Shetland.
OPENING CEREMONY - SHETLAND MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES
The official opening ceremony of the 2009 Johnsmas Foy took place in the Shetland Museum and Archives, attended by around 50 invited guests. The event was opened by the Convenor of Shetland Islands Council Mr Sandy Cluness.
The opening of the festival also coincided with the opening and unveiling of one of the Foy's primary events - namely the 'Sails in St Magnus' exhibition (more of which later). This impressive exhibition was promoted as part of the festival by Shetland Amenity Trust, with the general manger of the organisation Jimmy Moncrieff performing the official opening, together with two of the 'Sails' original artists Dave Jackson and Erland Brown who were also in attendance.
In keeping with the overall Viking theme of the Foy there was a visit from the Lerwick Up Helly Aa Jarl Squad, while music for the occasion was provided by visiting Scandinavian musicians 'Strengleikr' (Norway) and Marianne Maans (Finland) who performed their own unique brands of medieval Scandinavian music.
VIKING THEMED EVENTS
Naturally many of the individual events which went to make up the overall festival in 2009 carried a distinct 'Viking' theme. These included:
Walhalla Vikings
Promoted by Shetland Amenity Trust for the festival the 'Walhalla Vikings' were a visually fearsome (but ultimately very friendly) troup of 'Vikings' who travelled from Poland especially for the festival.
Dressed in authentic costumes, and suitably located at the historical Old Scatness site at Sumburgh, they proved to be one of the highlights and main attractions of the festival, providing visitors with detailed historical information on Viking times and 'ways', together with delivering battle re-enactments that had their audiences gasping at the sheer energy and indeed savagery they put into these displays.
Sails in St Magnus Exhibition
Another centre-piece event of the festival, again promoted on behalf of the Foy by Shetland Amenity Trust, which attracted a significant number of visitors and positive feedback.
The 'Sails' exhibition was originally designed as a visual arts installation in Orkney for the islands 1993 St Magnus Festival, with the sails themselves initially hung in the arches of the town's famous St Magnus Cathedral.
The installation, comprising of fourteen free hanging sails, was based on the paradox that the Vikings used the cathedral as a sail loft to dry and store the sails of their longships, with the overall theme of the exhibition being the pilgrimage from Orkney to Jerusalem in 1151 by Earl Rognvald the second of Orkney.
For the local exhibition the sails were hung in the Shetland Museum and Archvies, with two of the original artists, Erlend Brown and Dave Jackson, attending the event to provide visitors with a detailed insight into the original concept and thinking behind the project via guided tours of the installation.
Viking Feast
In further recognition of the festival's Viking theme Shetland Amenity Trust also promoted a 'Viking Feast' in the Boddam Hall, Shetland during the festival. 60 people experienced what a traditional feast of this kind may have been like, with basic meat and vegetable dishes served together with seafood soup and bread.
In addition to the feast itself a range of suitable entertainments were included in the programme including music and storytelling, culminating in a mock skirmish outside the hall (complete with fire-eating) courtesy of the Walhalla Vikings. The Vikings added an imposing presence to the gathering and again created an air of authenticity by passing around 'friendship drinking horns' during the meal.
Talks, Lectures, Exhibitions, Workshops and Films
The series of talks and lectures held as part of the 2009 Foy also focused on Viking orientated themes.
Professor Gisli Siguardsson from the University of Iceland delivered two well received lectures on the Norse and Icelandic sagas, and in particular their relevance to Shetland and Scotland in general. The first of these was perhaps appropriately delivered in Shetland's most northerly island of Unst - an island with a strong Viking heritage in its own right, while the second attracted a significant audience in the Shetland Museum and Archives in Lerwick.
Linking to the 'Sails in St Magnus' exhibition and promoted by Shetland Arts, story-tellers and musicians Bob Pegg and Tom Muir recounted the tale of 'Earl Rognvald of Orkney' through words and music. These lectures were delivered in Lerwick and Unst, with a school workshop also held on that island.
Eileen Brooke-Freeman from Shetland Amenity Trust delivered a well-attended lecture in the Shetland Museum and Archives on Shetland place names and their links and relevance to Norse and Viking heritage.
Shetland Film Club provided two showings (Sandness and Scalloway) of the film 'Secrets of the Ancients' - a feature documenting the attempt to haul a Viking longship across the istmus at Mavis Grind (located in Shetland's north mainland) in an attempt to prove that the Vikings could have used this route and method as a means of reaching the Atlantic Ocean as an alternative to navigating the dangerous waters north of Shetland.
Islesburgh Photographic Club held an exhibition of more that thirty stunning images with strong Norse and Viking related connotations and content in Islesburgh Community Centre throughout the duration of the festival.
A display of Viking and Norse related books was held in both the Shetland library and the Shetland Times bookshop in Lerwick. The Shetland library also ran a series of Viking content workshops for young people during the Foy, while the Shetland Museum and Archives promoted two very busy Viking Galley workshops also aimed at younger children.
Hnefatafl Workshops
For the uninitiated 'Hnefatafl' is an ancient board game, strongly believed to have Viking origins.
As part of the 2009 Johnsmas Foy a series of workshops were arranged in the Shetland Museum and Archives in Lerwick to introduce people to the rules and strategy of the game, which now has found a spiritual home on the island of Fetlar in Shetland, courtesy of enthusiasts Peter and Janet Kelly.
Indeed such are Fetlar's ties with the game that the recent Hnefatafl World Championships were held on the islands.
Now this is something you can safely try at home!!!!
MUSIC
Being a Shetland festival there's inevitably a great range of quality music promoted throughout the Johnsmas Foy and it's associated event the Flavour of Shetland.
There's follows a brief overview of just some of the music related events that took place during the 2009 festival:
Viking Related Music
In keeping with the theme of the 2009 event it seemed appropriate to invite visiting musicians from Scandinavia to take part in the festival, especially those specialising in medieval style or indeed Viking music.
From Norway 'Strengleikr' brought their own unique intrepretation of what they believed Viking music could have sounded like, performing this, together with vocals, on hand-made stringed instruments reminiscent of the period such as the bowed lyre.
In addition to performing at the opening ceremony the group performed a concert in Lerwick's Town hall and delivered a number of well received school workshops throughout Shetland.
Performing alongside them at the festival was Marianne Maans from Finland who also specialises in Scandinavian music dating from the medieval period up to more modern times. While in Shetland Marianne, also an accomplished fiddle player and vocalist, delivered a number of workshops (in schools and beyond) aimed at a wide range of age groups. She also performed on the same bill as 'Strengleikr' during the festivals main concert in Lerwick Town Hall and again at the Viking feast, all to very enthusiastic audience acclaim.
Classical Recital
Breaking away from the central theme on occasions is not seen as a problem at this event. Indeed promoting a diverse range of music during the festival is seen as a particular strength of the event and, as such, is another core aim of the organisers.
It was with this in mind that the festival, and Shetland, welcomed back one of its own in the shape of pianist extraordinaire Neil Georgeson, a born and bred Shetlander now based London but performing all over the world.
Neil was joined by violinist David Worswick for a very special recital in Lerwick's Town Hall, promoted by local arts development agency Shetland Arts, with a content ranging from well know classical pieces by the likes of Beethoven to more challenging modern contemporary pieces - a hallmark of Neil's diverse reportoire.
A sell out audience once again for Neil, with both musicians delivering a quite breath-taking performance on the night.
Jazz Brunch
Following on from the success of the Sunday Jazz Brunch held in the Shetland Museum and Archives restaurant during the 2008 festival, it was decided to repeat the event again this year.
Shetland is not only renowned for its internationally acclaimed musicians who consistently travel the world setting new standards, but also for the quality and diversity of its younger performers - thanks mainly to the effectiveness of the islands school music education programme.
It was against this particular backdrop that Shetland's latest young musical sensations, the quaintly named 'Norman and the Folding Deck-Chairs, expectantly took to the 'stage' in the Shetland Museum and Archives on a Sunday lunch-time to belt out a set of jazz and contemporary standards and favourites, while a packed restaurant tucked into their prawn cocktails and fillet steak.
A group of around thirty people saw fit to miss lunch altogether, electing to absorb the music instead - and indeed they were not to be disappointed. With a line-up featuring sax, two keyboards, bass and drums, with some great vocals thrown in for good measure, Norman and his Deck-chairs are a sight and sound to behold, especially as the band members also have the nerve to rotate instruments with each other at regular intervals throughout the set. A jazz bunch to look out for that's for sure!!!!
Many of the ancillary events that take place as part and parcel of the Foy (listed at the end of this page) also have strong and diverse musical elements and content.
So it is safe to say that although not a music festival in its own right, as a music lover you won't be disappointed if you chose to spend time at this particular event.
MARITIME ACTIVITIES
With it's original roots firmly anchored in our past maritime history, the Johnsmas Foy regularly seeks to maintain and explore those links throughout each festival in a wide variety of ways.
MFV 'Nybakk'
In 2009 one of the feature maritime events, courtesy of the Shetland Museum and Archives, was the visit of the former Norwegian fishing vessel 'Nybakk', originally built in the early 1960's and a regular visitor to Shetland throughout her past 'life'.
Now a floating museum she returned to Lerwick harbour for this years festival, attracting a significant number of local visitors for the duration of her stay, many of whom fondly remembered her from her previous more work orientated visits.
'Baccola', a traditional Norwegian fish dish, proved to be an additional onboard attraction which the crew served to the vessels visitors.
Other Maritime Activities
In addition to the visit of the 'Nybakk' another former Norwegian fishing vessel the 'Haugefisk', again a regular visitor to Lerwick during her previous working life, also returned for the festival.
Over and above these nostalgic visitors a number of additional maritime related events took place during the festival including the Johsmas Foy Yoal Race for the Johnsmas Foy Cup where teams complete a course around the isle of Trondra on Shetland's Westside (a yoal being an eight-oared Shetland-design rowing boat).
Another popular maritime attraction of the festival are the sailing opportunities offered on Shetland's very own fully restored fishing fyvie 'The Swan' LK 243 - a famous vessel in her own right but made additionally famous in musical circles through the Fiddlers' Bid tune of the same title, a beautiful 'air' dedicated to a trip the group made on her a number of years ago.
Bergen Race & 1000 Mile Double-Handed Race
One of the undoubted maritime related highlights of the event, which timing wise always occurs in conjunction with the 'Flavour of Shetland' on the final weekend of the Foy (see below item), is the simoultaneous visit to Lerwick harbour of two (in effect integrated) international yacht races - the Bergen Race incorporating the Lombardini 1000 Mile Double-Handed Race.
In 2009 around 60 racing yachts packed into Lerwick Harbour as part of these races, creating a quite incredible spectacle and indeed atmosphere in their own right.
Under normal conditions the yachts begin to arrive in Lerwick on the last Thursday of the Foy (the first day of Flavour of Shetland), and remain in port until Sunday morning, when the return leg of the race(s) get underway - a dramatic sight in its owns right.
With literally hundreds of yachts-men / yachts-women of all nationalities in port for three days of social and maritime related activity, this is another of the Foy's internal elements that can safely be categorised as "not to be missed"!!
GENERAL FOY RELATED EVENTS
Shetland Flag Day
Shetland Flag Day is now celebrated annually as an integral part of the Johnsmas Foy. During Flag Day everyone in Shetland, and indeed Shetlanders outwith the islands, is encouraged to demonstrate their pride in our heritage through flying or otherwise displaying our own 'national emblem'. Indeed it doesn't stop with just flags themselves, as flag designs of all natures are also encouraged, such as garden displays, face and body painting, car decorations - you name it Flag Day encourages it. Raising it's and our own 'national' profile is the key aim of this event.
In tandem with our Flag Day the 2009 Johnmas Foy committee decided that this years festival should also promote a competition, with the criteria being to encourage individuals to submit a photograph of a Shetland flag in an unusual or unique location or indeed a photograph of an imaginative Shetland Flag design.
Some terrific photos and designs were received for the competition with the winner and two runners up being presented with cash prizes by Councillor Rick Nickerson, Shetland Islands Council's Cultural Spokesperson and Chair of the Johnsmas Foy Committee. Click here to see all the entries from the competition.
Flavour of Shetland
A highlight in the Johnsmas Foy programme is undoubtedly Flavour of Shetland, a four day event within an event, held on Lerwick's Victoria Pier and aimed at showcasing some of the best music, food, craft and culture the islands have to offer visitors and locals alike.
Literally hundreds of great quality musicians of all ages and genres appear on the Flavour of Shetland stage throughout the four days the event takes place.
Set against the backdrop of visiting yachts from the Bergen and Lombardi 1000 Mile races, for many this event in itself is one of the social and cultural highlights of our annual calendar for visitors and locals alike.
In 2009 the event experienced not only record numbers of participants, but the glorious weather also insured that visitor numbers to the event also broke all previous records.
Click here to read the review from Flavour of Shetland 2009.
OTHER EVENTS
Given that the Johnsmas Foy itself stretches over a frantic ten day period at the very height of summer, its clearly an added bonus (especially for visitors) that many other interesting events take place across the islands during this time. A significant number of these events are promoted in conjunction with the Foy's event programme - which collectively go to make it, and the festival period in general, even richer and more eclectic still.
Just some of these events in 2009 were:
Ranger Guided walks around Shetland, courtesy of Shetland Amenity Trust - Historic Lerwick Walks with local historian Douglas Sinclair - Shetland's Half Marathon - Up-Helly-Aa Exhibition - Fetlar Foy - Mavis Grind Foy.
One of the largest, and most visually spectacular, is Lerwick's Summer Carnival which ordinarily takes place on the final weekend of the Johnsmas Foy and during the already hectic Flavour of Shetland.
Lerwick's streets become awash with colour, music and a generally frantic but incredibly good humoured buzz as hundreds of revellers (and many more spectators) take to the streets, either on the backs of lorries or on foot, to once again celebrate mid-summer in true Shetland fashion.
Add to that the fact it's all done for a charity entitled the 'Callum Younger Reach Fund', a local charity which raises money to help children achieve their ambitions, and that factor simply adds more meaning and benefit to an already terrific evening of fun.
So there you have it - just a snapshot of Shetland's 2009 Johnsmas Foy. All in all when we say "it had something for everyone" you can hopefully see from the above that this is by no means an inflated statement.
