The Album of the Week for week commencing 2 October is Escape: The Story of Jan Baalsrud & The Shetland Bus from Jenna & Bethany Reid
“This brand new suite of original music was inspired by the incredible story of the Shetland Bus and was performed for the first time at the 2010 Celtic Connections festival. It was so well received we made plans to get into the studio and record. So here we are with a brand-new album that we hope you enjoy.
Along side fellow musicians, James Thomson, Iain Sandilands and James Lindsay we set about arranging the original melodies composed by Jenna and Bethany, creating a suite of music inspired by the secret World War 2 mission, known as the Shetland Bus. These missions did not go over land but across the north sea.
With no lights and at constant risk of discovery by German aircraft and patrol boats, crossings were made between Shetland and Norway during winter under the cover of darkness across the dangerous waters of the North Sea.
Our music tells the story of Norwegian Jan Baalsrud, a 26 year old instrument maker who found himself alone and on the run for more than 2 months in the Norwegian artic wastelands. This album tells the remarkable tale of Jan’s incredible journey of survival.”
Hear Ross talking to Jenna & Bethany about the album on Saturday 2 October at 12 noon and midnight and from 6.00pm on Monday 4 October.
Click here to read more about the story of The Shetland Bus.
Click here to buy a copy of Escape: The Story of Jan Baalsrud & The Shetland Bus from Amazon