Songs From Jenna Reid

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Songs from Jenna Reid

1. Fetlar Lullaby
2. Baloo Balilli
3. The Jute Mill Song
4. Da Sealkie Wife’s Sang

The Fetlar Lullaby is a beautiful tune that I first learned from playing with the Shetland Fiddlers Society. The ‘the 40 fiddlers’ will celebrate their 60th birthday this year, and they’ve done an incredible job of promoting traditional Shetland fiddle music. Founded by the late Dr Tom Anderson and with Aly Bain and the late Willie Hunter (my teacher) in the ranks, it holds a special place within my fiddle playing.
I love the words of this song, by Sinclair Shewan from Fetlar.

Baloo  Balilli. (Thelma Jamieson)
This song is said to have come from school teacher EJ Smith as she noted it down from her mother’s singing. I found it in a beautiful book called The Sangs at A’ll Sing ta Dee’.
One of my favourites.

I learned the Jute Mill Song from the wonderful Anne Neilson. In my early days at the RSAMD in Glasgow I attended a singing class and always enjoyed it. As part of the group class we had to perform a song and I chose this one.
Thanks to the late Anne for her kindness and encouragement throughout my years as a student in Glasgow.

Mary Ellen Odie wrote the song ‘The Wild White Swan’ which I recorded some time ago on an album called Laughing Girl.
When I saw that she’s written ‘Da Sealkie Wife’s Sang’ I had to learn it.
Mary is from the island of Yell, just north of Shetland’s mainland.