Cultural exchanges can teach young musicians so much.

For instance, the Shetlanders who represented their home islands in this admirable Trans-Nordic project have learned the sort of honeyed phrases that their Nordic neighbours use in their traditional love songs – and in return, their Nordic neighbours have learned such useful musical terminology as “gaein’ it laldy”.

More to the point, though, the 20 or so musicians, plus tutors, from Shetland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland who make up the Nordic Tone orchestra have become, to these ears at least, effortlessly fluent in each others’ musical languages.

There are ancient links between these territories and doubtless a certain amount of shared musical DNA involved but one of the many impressive things about this orchestra was the unity it presented at every calling point on its itinerary.

National traits were celebrated en masse – the slightly clipped rhythm of Swedish polskas, the looser feel of their Finnish counterparts – and while the Shetland fiddle reels were delivered with gusto as instructed, it was the opening bride’s march from the northernmost Shetland island, Unst, that indicated immediately that this wasn’t to be some glorified session.

This hushed, almost crooned initial statement showed discipline, poise and a collective lightness of touch that was returned to often during a set that had plenty of outlets, too, for youthful exuberance, a big, robust orchestral sound, winsome individual singing and joyful chorusing.

Earlier, antipodean Brendan Power, pictured above, had employed harmonicas, technology and a blind-dated Donald Shaw on keyboards to present a musical panorama that showed plenty of spontaneous inventiveness but occasionally came unstuck.

Sponsored by Scottish Power.

Star rating: ***