Description
In May 2016, just a few days before Orkney played host to a series of national events commemorating the one hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Jutland, the Orkney Folk Festival staged its own ‘Military Tattoo’ – style event, celebrating Orkney and Shetland’s maritime history.
The first of its kind for the Orkney Folk Festival, the Northern Isles Festival Tattoo performed a choreographed, massed performance of fiddles, pipes, drums, song and community spirit in Kirkwall’s Pickaquoy Centre. Taking centre stage were Shetland’s country fiddle group, Hjaltibonhoga – fresh from two consecutive Edinburgh Military Tattoos, as well as stadium performances in Australia and New Zealand.
Almost 200 performers took part in the event, which proved to be a huge success, gaining a standing ovation.
