Day 3: Hymhus concert with special guests

A breather in the morning - some head to Lerwick and I walk down to St Ninian’s, which is the isle connected to mainland by a spectacular shell-sand tombolo. Saturday is the shop day in Hymhus, featuring the famous Bigton baguettes… Caroline heads over there to buy a large clutch of baguettes as a gift for her host Laura’s freezer - she inadvertently creates a supply crisis, but Gus bakes a fresh batch to meet this spike in demand!

Stu, Jo, Lydia and Caroline rehearse while I catch up on producer admin and blog. Our host Laura has made orzo with kale as our pre-concert meal - we gather in her cosy kitchen to eat, it is delicious. Laura arrives back and bakes figs with sherry which she serves with home made ice cream, yum. Chatting … then we realise time ticking too fast and we need to prepare for gig - we abandon Laura to the dishes, rapidly clamber into concert clothes/makeup etc, shoot up to Hymhus.

Hymhus looks so inviting - Alice has arranged seating around tables, with (electric) candles, Jonathan has brought in some LED lights, giving a glow from the floor for the stage area. Alice and I greet the folk as they arrive - amongst them some of Bigton Band who we had jammed with yesterday, bringing their instruments as invited!

Taking it in turns to talk about the pieces, Stu, Jo, Lydia and Caroline perform a beautiful programme of Renaissance dances, Spanish pieces and a very special arrangement of the Unst Boat Song. As the finale the Bigton Band are invited to join CHROMA on stage and perform the enhanced version of Warlock’s Mattachins (Sword Dance) with improvised chord clashes in the crunchy bit. It is great fun and a wonderful way to round off the musical entertainment.

Then the teas and shortbreads are wheeled out of the kitchen and a general social ensues. Local artist Paul Bloomer, who has several pieces hung on the walls here has drawn the musicians during the concert and gifts them the sketches afterwards.

Everyone delighted with the entertainment, we have many happy chats with these lovely people of Bigton. Afterwards we head back to Laura’s kitchen, joined by our other host Audrey, crack open the gin and feast on warm baguettes and smoked mackerel paté whilst sharing stories. Good company, much laughter.

Thank yous today to everyone who joined us in Hymhus for the concert and social, to Alice and Jonathan for giving us the space and making it beautiful, to Laura and Audrey for hosting us with such warmth and generosity, to Paul Bloomer for the art, and to all the funders (see list on Armada home page) who are supporting this community-rooted project which means it is free to join in for schools, participants, audiences.

Blogging by Claire Shovelton