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13 January, 2010
 A
SHETLAND fiddle that will go on show in Edinburgh’s redeveloped
National Museum of Scotland will be played for the first time at a
special concert at the Shetland Museum and Archives tomorrow
lunchtime (Thursday).
Local fiddle maker Ewen Thomson was commissioned in April last year
to build the instrument, which will eventually be displayed in the
performance and lives gallery, when the museum re-opens next year.
Thursday is the first opportunity for Shetlanders to hear and enjoy
the instrument in their own community, before it becomes a permanent
attraction at the National Museum of Scotland.
The concert features six former winners of the Shetland Young
Fiddler of the Year competition: Danny Garrick, Chapman Cheng, Kaela
Jamieson, Maggie Adamson, Ryan Stevenson and Ryan Couper.
Susan Lewandowski, of National Museums Scotland, said Scotland’s
fiddle tradition was rich and varied with the skills of its
makers, composers and players
passed down through the centuries.
"We are thrilled to have one of Ewen's fiddles in the national
collections. His work is held in high esteem by some of Scotland's
finest musicians.
“This commission represents a fantastic opportunity to capture just
one strand of a vibrant contemporary music scene which has roots
embedded in a rich and long-reaching tradition."
Mr Thomson was born on Fair Isle and raised in a musical family. At
the age of 16 he trained in violin-making and proceeded to set up
his own workshop making and restoring violins, violas and cellos. He
said that it takes him around two months making a fiddle from
scratch.
"I can't quite believe that my fiddle is to be displayed in the
National Museum of Scotland. I'm delighted that Shetland's musical
tradition will be represented in the new gallery and hope that
millions of visitors from home and abroad will enjoy seeing it," he
said.
The £46 million
redevelopment of National Museum of Scotland
site in Chambers Street,
 Edinburgh,
will see the creation of 16 new galleries, two hands-on discovery
centres, a larger gallery for international touring exhibitions, new
facilities for education and a state of the art learning centre to
inspire visitors of all ages.
All pictures:
Billy Fox
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