“Hirda is a warm, affectionate and delightful ode to Shetland that enraptured the audience, nearly brought the house down from the immense and sustained applause, and deserves a place in the cultural pantheon of the isles.”
Alex Garrick-Wright, The Shetland Times
★ ★ ★ ★
“Glasgow company NOISE aim to create nimble opera for new audiences. Hirda was as accessible as it was intended to be.”
Kate Molleson, The Guardian
★ ★ ★ ★
“There is a strange magic to Hirda, a beguiling adventure across classical and folk boundaries. The haunting blend of the voices and the music is still ringing in my head.”
David Smythe, Bachtrack
★ ★ ★ ★
“this brand new opera feels like it’s got true Shetland blood pulsing fiercely through its veins”
“soaring, heartstring-pulling music, enormously powerful in conveying the opera’s intense emotions.”
David Kettle, The Scotsman
★ ★ ★ ★
“Tilts at contemporary Scottish opera are not exactly uncommon, but this NOISE company commission from a composing team of Chris Stout and Gareth Williams with a libretto by Sian Evans sets and meets its own high standards.”
“Stout and Williams have combined their talents in a style that sets a benchmark for traditional and classical collaboration.”
Keith Bruce, Herald Scotland
“unites Scottish folk music and Shetland dialect with the classical forces of chamber opera, making for a potent brew.”
“Hirda deserves to go places.”
Andrew Clark, Opera Magazine