‘Brace yourselves’ for new CD

Six-piece, award-winning band, Broken Strings will launch their debut album, Halda, tonight, Saturday, December 10, at 7pm.

The release follows a whirlwind year for the young musicians, who scooped a Danny Kyle award at the Celtic Connections Open Stage competition in January, after winning the Orkney Folk Festival’s Open stage contest in 2010.

According to the band, Halda is an old Norse word for “Brace Yourselves.”

The band’s Aidan Moodie said: “We thought it was an appropriate title for our first album, and it shows some of our Norse heritage at the same time.”

The CD will be launched in the Kirkwall Town Hall, and will be “more of an informal get together than a concert,” according to band members, who are all Kirkwall Grammar School pupils.

Aidan added: “It’s really just to celebrate the work that’s gone into the CD, so it’s free to enter with free mulled wine and mince pies.

“We’ll be at the launch to play a few sets from the CD, and we’ll be available to sign copies if anybody wants us to! The CD will be available at a special price of £10 if you buy it at the launch.