(from one of the critics, by Marianne Lystrup, from the paper Vårt Land).
The relaunching of my album ‘Songs within stones’ deserves some comments and a brief celebration.
As I was working on this album, back in 2008, I had this crazy idea.
I had just come to know of the St Magnus-cathedral on the windy islands of Orkney, far North of Scotland.
This Norwegian mediaeval church was in earlier days a popular pilgrim-destination. As my Viking-ancestors, I wanted to find the deep connection between my county of Vestfold and the Orkneys. So, with a solid grip on my musical ideas, I travelled West, crossing the North Sea.
Little did I know that I should get to play with some of the most brilliant local musicians and make friends for life over there. The whole album was recorded live in three days in the St Magnus Cathedral and later mixed in Rainbow Studio in Oslo, Norway, by the famous sound-engeneer Jan Erik Kongshaug.
The Norwegian folk-tunes melt surprisingly effortless together with the music from the beautiful islands of Orkney. Listen to the album, to the ancient rhythms and harmonies, and perhaps you will feel it too. If you listen closely, you can even hear the wind playing on one of the songs, ‘Kom regn av det høye’, as the storm was raviging the old cathedral as we recorded the song.
Historical facts:
Orkneys were under Norwegian dominion for about 700 years, from the Viking-age. They still speak some Norse, and they are still proud of their Norwegian heritage.
You are welcome to join us in this pilgrimage.