Sondre Bratland & Annbjørg Lien - Alle Vegne

Ripe fruit from Sondre Bratland and Annbjørg Lien For a number of years the duo of Sondre Bratland and Annbjørg Lien has been performing in concerts in Norwegian churches. This CD, "Alle vegne" (Everywhere), presents their fully ripened versions of Norwegian religious folk songs. A singer and a musician – two artists who each have strong followings in Norway – have joined forces to drink deep of the well of the many treasures in our folk music tradition. After hundreds of concerts featuring this music it is like harvesting fruit ripe for the picking when Sondre and Annbjørg step up to the microphone. These two artists have travelled a long road, not only learning from their many mentors and sources, but also navigating some bumps along the way from some of the colder critics. The distilled juices of their ripening process are strong and tasty, and the lushness and intensity will please the listener. With sources such as the singer and folk musician Tallak Hoslemo and singers Ingebjørg Liestøl and Ragnar Vigdal to build on, Sondre and Annbjørg deliver a vibrant listening experience to their listeners. The new release "Everywhere" features mostly religious folk songs, but a lively fiddle tune or two have also found their way into the repertoire. The recording was made in Kongshavn Studios with the technician Trond Engebretsen at the controls, and produced by Bjørn Ole Rasch. Annbjørg uses her entire range of instruments, the flat fiddle, the Hardanger fiddle and the nyckelharpa, and sings on some of the tracks. Among the songs on "Everywhere" are "So rodde dei fjordan" (Then they rowed the fjords), "Høyr kor kyrkjeklokka lokkar" (Hear how the church bells beckon), "Bjølleslåtten" (The bell air) and "Dagsens auga sloknar ut" (The day's light is doused).