Diverse artister - Våkenatt for Hardanger

The CD "Våkenatt for Hardanger" (Vigil for Hardanger) is now here

Eleven artists camped out in Granvin to protest against the threat to the beautiful district of Hardanger. You can now hear the result on the album "Våkenatt for Hardanger" / Vigil for Hardanger

Can songs influence political processes?

For KKV, the answer is yes. In September, KKV invited eleven artists to Granvin church to praise the beautiful cultural landscape in Hardanger on a new CD. The record is a protest against the Government's plans to build a 92 km motorway of high-tension power cables on highly visible 45 m tall pylons along the Hardanger fjord.

The artists who accepted the invitation were Ole Paus, William Hut, Herborg Kråkevik, Benedicte Maurseth, Åsne Valland Nordli, Anne Grete Preus, Nils Petter Molvær, Bjarne Brøndbo, Ove Thue, Einar Mjølsnes and Sondre Bratland.

Accompanied by a band consisting of Anders Engen (drums), Geir Sundstøl (various strings), Jonny Sjo (bass), Helge Lilletvedt and Morten Qvenild (keyboards), these artists perform new and old songs and folk tunes that remind us about what is at stake in Hardanger. The cover notes also question the necessity of the entire power line planned by the Government.

It was not by chance that Granvin and its church were chosen. Granvin is the municipality in Hardanger that will be hardest hit if the Government puts its plan into action, and Granvin's old church has an exceptionally warm and enriching acoustic quality. It also has the oldest church bell in Norway, a bronze bell from the 13th century which Anders Engen immediately added to his array of percussion instruments.

The aim of this venture was to make a good and accessible record, in addition to demonstrating solidarity with the population of Hardanger, which has been fighting the power line for five years.

"We wanted to stay there for a little while and record some songs. We wanted to look at and feel the natural beauty of the landscape of Hardanger and weave this feeling into our songs. We know that the picture of Hardanger is different for those who are deskbound in Oslo than it is for all the people who live in and enjoy the mighty landscape of Hordaland's fjords. We know that songs can reach all the way into the hearts of those who can and want to listen. Anyone who listens to Sondre Bratland sing the national hymn "Såg du mitt land" (Did you see my country) and still refuses to listen to the people from the towns and villages of Hardanger, and indeed to the majority of the Norwegian people, about what is to become of our cultural landscape, that person has a heart of stone," Erik Hillestad, the producer, says on the cover.

Du har våket over oss i tusener av år

Men i natt er det vi som våker over deg

 (You have watched over us for thousands of years

But tonight we are watching over you)

Ole Paus