Caught by the River

The Atlantic Archipelago

Bill Drummond | 26th April 2019

The Atlantic Archipelago is a group of islands off the west coast of mainland Europe.

The Atlantic Archipelago includes the following countries: Ireland, Scotland, England & Wales. It also includes the Isle of Man.

The most northerly inhabited island that is part of the Atlantic Archipelago is the island of Unst.

Unst is also one of the Shetland Isles.

On the afternoon of Sunday the 28th April 2019, Bill Drummond will be working on the island of Unst.

He will be there as part of his nine year tour of The Atlantic Archipelago.
He will be there screening the film Imagine Waking Up Tomorrow and All Music Has Disappeared.

Imagine Waking Up Tomorrow and All Music Has Disappeared is a film by the Swiss film maker Stefan Schwietert.

Imagine Waking Up Tomorrow and All Music Has Disappeared was shot in 2013 and released to cinemas in the German-speaking countries in 2015.

Imagine Waking Up Tomorrow and All Music Has Disappeared was also screened at various film festivals around the world picking up several awards on the way.

Imagine Waking Up Tomorrow and All Music Has Disappeared is a full-length documentary about The17.

The17 was a choir led by Bill Drummond.
The17 existed between 2003 and 2013.
The17 ceased to exist when Bill Drummond turned 60.
The17 had more members than any other choir in the world this century.
Bill Drummond is the protagonist of this film.
Bill Drummond has issues with this film.

Bill Drummond restrained the film having a commercial release in The UK. Be it in cinemas, DVDs, downloads or streaming.

Bill Drummond chose instead to screen the film himself once a year for nine years.

Each of these screenings is to be on a location within the Atlantic Archipelago where a different language was spoken by local folk 200 years ago.

These nine languages include Cornish, Manx, Romani, Welsh, English, Lallans, Irish, Norn and Gaelic.

The first of these screenings was in Cornwall in 2018.

Bill Drummond is also recording a song sung in each of these languages. These songs are to be sung unaccompanied by a solo female singer.

In 2018 the song Goonlas was sung by the Cornish singer Bec Applebee.
In 2019 the song The Unst Boat Song was sung by the Fair Isle singer Inge Thomson.

The screening will be in Baltasound Hall on Unst at 4pm.
There will be the first public airing of the two recordings.
Also,,,
A short film by Roseanne Watt will also be screened.
This film is called Alfie.
Bill Drummond will MC the event and give a short performance lecture after the screening.
Bill Drummond will have forty copies of his book 17 for sale at ten quid a go.

The whole thing is part of Oot & Aboot, a touring programme of Shetland Arts activities and events.

Tickets are available in person from Mareel arts centre in Lerwick, or by phone on 01595 745500, or online HERE.

Bill Drummond will be documenting the tour of the Atlantic Archipelago year by year. These documentations may take the form of words, images and recordings (including the songs). The first of these documentations will be made public on the Caught By The River website on Friday the 3rd of May 2019.