Maria Mohn - Maria Mohn // Uprøvde friheter

Maria Mohn was asked to sing on KKV’s album number 500: Uprøvde friheter [Untested liberties]. All the texts are written by Erik Hillestad, who has led KKV for almost 50 years.

“I discovered Maria Mohn’s beautiful voice and her strong expressiveness last year when we made the Christmas record Over deg vil stjernen skinne [The star will shine over you],” says Erik Hillestad.

Heaven above life

This was the voice he wanted for the eleven texts he had written, touching on everything from day-to-day vulnerability, the mysteries of youth and grief over brutal atrocities in the world. Shining through the texts is the hope arising from Hillestad’s strong conviction that we can all be embraced by God. He sees an open heaven over us, making our small lives bigger and more meaningful. In believing this, he can confidently invite us with him to experience uprøvde friheter [untested liberties].

A band with edge and drive

An artist singing melodious songs in her beautiful voice could easily become a little cloying. Maria Mohn and producer Hillestad have chosen musicians who add edge and drive to the music. Here David Wallumrød (keyboards), Erland Dahlen (drums and saw), Jo Berger Myhre (bass) and Åsbjørg Ryeng (bandoneon) have contributed to making the sound anything but sweet.

Great voice

“I find Maria to be a gifted conveyor of texts. She is smart and has a wonderful voice, but she is not afraid to ‘get her hands dirty’,” he says, referring to the depth and fullness provided by the band, where that edge and drive help to keep his mellifluous texts down to earth.

“She is also a good songwriter, and two of the songs carry her musical signature.”

His mother’s funeral 

Some of the songs are very personal for Hillestad, such as the songs for his children Maria and Øystein, for the funeral of his mother Sigrid and about his grandfather Sigvard Engeset’s melodies. Most of them have also been published as sheet music in the songbook Uprøvde friheter, which this summer was published by Cantando Musikkforlag.

“When Erik asked me if I would like to sing on this record it was very easy for me to accept. And I must admit that it was a very special and valuable moment for me when we recorded Morild [Phosphorescence] – the melody Erik’s mother wrote a few years before she passed away, with Erik’s lyrics, and which Sigvart Dagsland performed at her funeral. And then here we are, recording it a few years later in the same church!” says Maria Mohn.

Recording by Hillestad in Kulturkirken Jakob. The album will be released on 20 October.

FXCD 500

Maria Mohn

Uprøvde friheter [Untested liberties]

KKV     2023