Nigel Firth Piano (PU14)

Along with my musical partner and twin sister Hazel, I set up ‘The Reel’ in the heart of Kirkwall, a teaching and performance venue for Orkney traditional music, enjoyed by thousands of Orkney folk and visitors alike, neatly combined six fully equipped teaching rooms, a licensed café bar, performance and rehearsal spaces and Orkney’s only music shop, serving as a highly popular, central cultural hub for all ages. It was the only music school dedicated to Orkney music and culture. It had a worldwide reputation for excellence.

Sadly ‘The Reel’ was forced to permanently close in following the Covid-19 pandemic.

At The Reel the Orcadian Summer Concerts were established in 2010 with the aim of giving a concert platform to both well-known and lesser-known local groups whilst also raising money for charity. Eight concerts were held every summer, primarily to give talented local entertainers, young and not so young, a performance platform whilst raising money for different local charities each time. These concerts have involved hundreds of local storytellers, musicians, dancers and magicians, giving up their time for free to raise money. Nearly £30, 000 was raised for local charities, many of these precious concerts have been archived forever on the ‘Reel Orkney Music’ YouTube channel. They have become a last chance to hear many older generation musicians play who have since passed away. One of my favourite performances from these Summer Concert series was of a lovely pianist called Nigel Firth, who is sadly no longer with us. His gentle wit and personality matched his musical style and sweet piano playing. This snippet of his playing is indictive of the style of piano played in Orkney.

COPYRIGHT CONTROL Thank you to the Reel Orkney Music You Tube page for the permission to use this recording. All rights of the producer and of the owner of the work reproduced reserved. Unauthorised copying, hiring, lending, public performance and broadcasting of this recording prohibited.