SLEEVE NOTES:

1. a Green Grow Da Rushes - Trad Shetland
b Sillocks An Tatties - Trad Shetland
c Wha’ll Dance We Wattie - Trad Shetland
The first tune is a Shetland version of a reel found in both Scotland and Ireland. ‘Sillocks’ is the Shetland dialect for baby coalfish which was regularly eaten in Shetland. ‘Wha’ll Dance we Wattie’ was written in honour of a sailor named Wattie who was a very keen dancer and would dance all the women off their feet. The saying would then go around “Wha’ll Dance We Wattie noo!” (Who will dance with Wattie now).

2. a Doon Da Rooth - Trad Shetland
b Da Papa Stour Sword Dance - Trad Shetland
c Dus Bün Lang Awa An Im Tocht Lang Tae See Dee -Trad Shetland
‘Doon Da Rooth’ in all probability was a “spinning tune”, played when the wool was being spun on the spinning wheel, hence the unusual rhythm. Rooth is an Unst word for the leather part that holds the “flee” where the thread goes in on a spinning wheel. The second tune was used for a sword dance performed around the Christmas period on the island of Papa Stour and the last is a wedding tune.

3. a Eternal Lea - Mark Laurenson (MCPS/PRS)
b På Fetlars Topp (On Fetlars Top) - Vidar Skrede (TONO)
‘Eternal Lea’ was written by Mark after a walk at Eshaness in the north mainland of Shetland with two great friend’s from Norway – Gabriel Fliflet and Richard Burgess. It was blowing a gale from the east and all they wanted to do was find some lea! Vidar composed the second after a trip to Shetland with the Norwegian trio, Geitungen. They visited the island of Fetlar where they performed and partied well into the night! He felt he had to write a tune to remember the brilliant time they had there!

4. Da Westside Brides March - Trad Shetland
A stunningly beautiful bridal march from the Westside of Shetland.

5. David’s Waltz - Debbie Scott (Copyright Control)
A beautiful waltz from the pen of Debbie Scott, a brilliant fiddler and composer from the island of Papa Stour in Shetland.

6. a Da Scallowa’ Lasses - Trad Shetland
b Karens Fancy - Mark Laurenson (MCPS/PRS)
c Ahint Da Dykes O’ Voe - Trad Shetland
Mark got this version of Da Scallowa’ Lasses from an archive recording of the late Jock Youngclaus from Durigarth, Dunrossness, Shetland. Karen’s Fancy was composed by Mark for Karen Hannah, a fine fiddler from Balmullo, Fife in Scotland and ‘Ahint Da Dykes O’ Voe’ is a tune we really enjoy playing.

7. a Untitled Bridal March - Trad Shetland
b Hopsar - Trad Norway
The first tune comes from the playing of George P S Peterson from Papa Stour. He is a wellknown storyteller, musician, writer and folklorist. The second comes from Norwegian fiddler Ivar Fuglestad from Bjerkreim, Rogaland in Norway. This is a Shetland version of the tune!

8. Da Greenland Man’s Tune - Trad Shetland
A beautiful tune thought to have been taken back to Shetland by the Shetland whaler men from the Eskimos in Greenland. It is said to have had words in the Yaki tongue.

9. a Sandy Ower Da Lea - Trad Shetland
b Da Cross Reel - Trad Shetland
c Untitled - Trad Shetland
d Up Da Stroods Da Sailor Goes - Trad Shetland
‘Sandy Ower Da Lea’ comes from the island of Papa Stour and we follow that with a reel that was once used for a dance but unfortunately the steps were lost. The third tune comes from the playing of the late Whalsay fiddler, Andrew Polson and we finish up with a tune from the island of Bressay which comes from the playing of the late George Sutherland.

10. Vals - Vidar Skrede (TONO)
Vidar wrote this beautiful tune a good few years back and it has become very popular with musicians both in Norway and further afield.

All tracks arranged by Henderson, Laurenson and Skrede
Kevin Henderson – fiddle
Mark Laurenson – fiddle & mandolin
Vidar Skrede – guitar & stomp board

Recorded at Norges Musikkhøgskole, Oslo, Norway by Juhani Silvola
Mixed and mastered in Helsinki, Finland by Hannu Oskala
Produced by Vidar Skrede
Photos by Ingvil Skeie Ljones, Soundsnaps and Kutt Niinepuu
Cover design by Vidar Skrede / artistpromodesign.com

Contact:
aamos-music@gmail.com
www.aamos-music.com

Aamos would like to thank the following:
Juhani Silvola, Hannu Oskala, Ånon Egeland, Rauland
Vinterfestivalen, Kjell Bitustøyl, all the groups we are involved
in and for those not listed, you know who you are!
Special thanks to all our families and friends for the continued
love and support, Åshild Vetrhus, Johanna Juhola and
Annika Westgård.

Aamos
- Shetland dialect meaning a gift promised in the hope that a wish will be granted to the donor

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PRESS RELEASE:

AMOS Caravan
- Debut CD from the Shetland/Norway folk trio AAMOS

Every now and again a traditional folk band comes along that raises the stakes and takes the music a step further, not just putting old wine in new bottles, but actually subtly changing the infusion itself. Such is the case with AAMOS, the Shetland-Norwegian trio whose debut CD Caravan is now released.

The material is chiefly traditional Shetland fiddle tunes, with the addition of some memorable self-penned ones that, like the band itself, bridge the gap between these Nordic next-door neighbours. The fiddle-playing is top-notch – you would expect no less from a line-up featuring the likes of Kevin Henderson, globetrotting whizz kid of Shetland fiddling, renowned from such bands as Boys of the Lough, Fiddler’s Bid and Session A9: and Mark Laurenson, a finalist in the Scottish Traditional Young Folk Musician of the Year 2003 and co-founder of Shetland’s foremost “spree band”, Fullsceilidh Spelemannslag. Together they are a powerhouse, able to ratchet up your heartbeat on the fast tunes – and stop it almost dead on the slow ones with their poise and passion.

But there’s more to this than mere youthful virtuosity. Whether AAMOS are playing hell-for-leather reels or breathtakingly beautiful bridal tunes, there is a Scandinavian ambience here that makes even the familiar tunes sound like new discoveries. This is not least due to the exquisite guitar playing of the trio’s Norwegian member, Vidar Skrede. One of Scandinavia’s foremost young folk musicians, known from such bands as Geitungen, Secret Carpet Club, Vidar Skrede DYNAMO BAND and the Great Norwegian Guitar Quartet, Vidar is a gifted fiddler himself, and his DADGAD guitar, whether fast and furious or lyrically laidback, shows an inventive understanding of the tunes that makes the term “accompaniment” rather a misnomer. The guitar is upfront, calling the shots along with the fiddles.

“Aamos” is a Shetland dialect word meaning “a gift promised in the hope that a wish will be granted to the donor”. With their debut CD Caravan, AAMOS have more than honoured their promise. We can only hope that it is their wish to regale us with more of their unique music.
- Richard Burgess

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BIOGRAPHY:

AAMOS is a relatively new band, formed, to spread the very special and energetic Shetland fiddle tradition to the world and further! They play mainly the traditional fiddle music of Shetland, the ritual tunes for weddings, the slow melodic tunes, and of course the fast swinging reels which Shetland is most famous for! The 2 fiddles and guitar combine to express deep subtle feeling, good humor and plenty of driving power!

Kevin Henderson is from Lerwick in Shetland and is most noted for playing in well known bands such as Shetland super group – Fiddlers Bid, Scottish group -Session A9, Nordic trio – The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc and one of the best known British/Irish folk bands – Boys of the Lough.
For more information: www.kevinhenderson.co.uk

Mark Laurenson, from Bigton in the south of Shetland won Shetland's young fiddler of the year in 1999 and was a finalist in the Scottish Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2003. Mark has toured in Estonia, Belgium, Norway and throughout England and Scotland. He is known for playing with Shetland bands, Drop the Box and Fullsceilidh Spelemannslag.
For more information: "www.myspace.com/marklaurenson

Vidar Skrede is from Rogaland in south-western Norway and plays Hardanger-fiddle, ordinary fiddle and guitars. With a master degree in Nordic folk music at The Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Vidar plays in several well-known bands such as Vidar Skrede DYNAMO BAND, The Secret Carpet Club, Geitungen, NOMAS and The Great Norwegian Guitar Quartet.
For more information: www.vidarskrede.no