Magic from the Shetlands by FULLSCEILIDH

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FULLSCEILIDH SPELEMANNSLAG

500 Sessions

Spreefix 002

Fullsceilidh Spelemannslag is a mouthful for an ensemble name, but then again, it’s a pretty big group: seven fiddlers plus four additional musicians. Based in the Shetland Islands, Fullsceilidh features regional tunes, which means a blend of islands, Scottish mainland, and Scandinavian traditions. Think a more robust version of Fiddlers’ Bid, the seven-piece lineup of which Fullsceilidh’s Maurice Henderson is also a member. Unlike Da’ Bid–as Shetlanders like to call it–Fullsceilidh, has in the past, cleaved closer to home, though this release finds them venturing off islands to capture tunes from Liz Carroll, Martin Tourish (Altan), English dance tunes, and even some American old-time fiddle tunes. There are also selections that briefly feature instruments other than the fiddle, but whether it’s a local tune, an import, or a bit of guitar picking, Fullsceilidh renders them according to custom. This generally means giving tunes an orchestral treatment in which the musicians play in synch with each other rather than engaging in layering, harmonizing, or counterpoint. The tunes on the new recording are at once robust and full, yet communal in feel to the sessions playing invoked in the title. Solos are short and serve mainly as bridges back to the whole. There’s nothing simple about any of this, but Fullsceilidh makes everything sound effortless. Don’t worry about the pronunciation; it’s time for the world to discover these folks.   Rob Weir

PS: If you want to try pronouncing it, here is an approximation: Full-scale-é  Spelem-man-slog

And here they are in (considerable) action.