Thanks to Dr Peter Cooke for sending this in.
It’s 38 years since I spent a long weekend in Lerwick privileged be recording the violin playing of ‘Young’ Willie Hunter and his accompanist Violet Tulloch. On my return I posted a master copy of those fine sessions to the late Dave Bulmer of Celtic Music so that he could market an album entitled Willie Hunter. That recording, first issued as a vinyl LP in 1982 and later on CD, has very sadly not been available for years and Celtic Music folded a few years after Dave Bulmer’s death in 2013.
Sadly also Willie and Violet’s two later albums — Leaving Lerwick Harbour and The Willie Hunter Sessions were made when Willie was past his best as a fiddler: he died of cancer in 1994. Each time on later visits around the turn of the century I was asked by Violet and many more Shetlanders why the Willie Hunter record was no longer available. I had no answer for them and there was no indication that it would ever be re-issued.
But now here it is – some prime listening for you – younger Shetlanders especially! Read the whole article and listen to the album.
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