I’m so chuffed to have been recently named as the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2023. I’m so proud to be the first Shetlander to win the competition, and the second piano player too! There were so many special moments at the final, which took place in Glasgow’s City Halls on 5th February 2023. A particularly poignant moment was being part of the first all-female stage in the competition’s history. 

It was a joy getting to know each of the other finalists, all absolutely outstanding musicians, including; Aidan Moodie (Orkney), Madeleine Stewart (New England), Sam Mabbett (Oxfordshire), Mairi McGillivary (Islay) and Ailis Sutherland (Kirriemuir). I couldn’t actually catch their performances at the final on Sunday as I had to rush off after my set to play at the Exhibition Hall with my band Tern, for the Danny Kyle Open Stage winners showcase. I’m really looking forward to catching up on the Trad Final through BBC iPlayer, where it’s now available to watch back. 

My programme for the final was mostly linked to Shetland, and it was great to share a wee bit of home on the big stage. The opening set was a couple of trad. Shetland wedding tunes; ‘The Papa Stour Bridal March’ and ‘Du’s Bön Lang Awa an A’m Tocht Lang ta See Dee’. Following that, I played an arrangement of a beautiful Slow Air written by Tom Anderson; ‘Lament for Lowrie Ida Lea’. Closing my set was three Reels; ‘Four Filskettes in a Fiesta’ (Jenna Reid), ‘Tommy’s Tarbukas’ (Alasdair Fraser) and ‘Trip to Miriam’s’ (Colin Farrell).

The Slow Air in particular was very much inspired by Violet Tulloch, from whom I learnt from for a couple years before I moved to Glasgow to study. Violet is quite correctly known as ‘The Queen of Slow Air’s’ – her approach to this tune type always including gorgeous countermelodies, which I will always be mesmerised by! I recently caught Violet playing with Bryan Gear at the MacKintosh Church in Glasgow as part of Celtic Connections, a highlight of the gig was a stunning performance of ‘Leaving Lerwick Harbour’.