The Wrigley Sisters
| The Wrigley Sisters | |
|---|---|
 The Wrigley Sisters on stage in Hobart, Tasmania, 2002 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Orkney, Scotland |
| Genres | Celtic music, Folk music |
| Years active | 1980s-present |
| Website | www.wrigleysisters.com |
| Members |
Jennifer Wrigley Hazel Wrigley |
Jennifer and Hazel Wrigley are an international folk music duo playing fiddle (Jennifer) and guitar/piano (Hazel).[1] They are twin sisters, born in the Orkney Islands of Scotland. They started to play when given instruments on their 8th birthday and joined the Strathspey and Reel Society in their early years. In their early teens they were playing, often with their older sister Emma on accordion, at local concerts and ceilidhs around Orkney. There they were spotted by Orkney's only recording studio who launched them into Dancing Fingers, their first album.[2]
The success of this album moved them into the UK folk circuit, but this proved arduous (Cornwall to Middlesbrough in back-to-back gigs), and eventually they moved to Edinburgh after launching their second album, The Watch Stone, in 1994. In Edinburgh they became part of the city's folk scene and fronted a six-piece band called Seelyhoo, which recorded two albums.[2]
Playing at London's Barbican Centre in 1995, they were spotted by a New Zealand music scout who invited them to play at the Auckland Folk Festival which prompted the twins to organise a three-month "world tour" in 1997. At about that time Jennifer won the UK's premier accolade for new folk talent (BBC Young Tradition Award) which helped boost the tour and their international reputation.[2] Working without a manager, they organised a second world tour in 1999 and issued a third album Huldreland (in the Folk Roots top ten of 1998). Four transatlantic trips in 1999 cemented their place on the international folk scene.
In 2001 they issued an album "Skyran."
In 2005 they returned to Orkney and acquired premises in Kirkwall where they launched The Reel, a music/social centre offering an instrument/music shop, lessons to aspiring musicians, and a coffee shop where sessions can often be heard.[1]
References
- 1 2 Teich, Mitch (19 August 2016). "The Wrigley Sisters Share Cultural Traditions of Orkney Islands". WUWM. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
- 1 2 3 "The Wrigley Sisters: Biography". The Kennedy Center. Retrieved 22 July 2017.