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Trio Mediaeval description

The vocal/instrumental ensemble Trio Mediaeval, founded in Oslo in 1997, is no run of the mill early-music outfit. Founding member Anna Maria Friman explains why: “We approach medieval music as if it were written today... medieval and contemporary pieces seem to fit incredibly well together.

Whether or not you need convincing, this stunning concert, performed in the St Francis Xavier Cathedral is confirmation. The repertoire is from their ECM album Rímur, a project born of several summers in Dalsfjorden, on the Norwegian west coast, in collaboration with legendary improvisatory trumpeter Arve Henriksen. Henriksen is a trumpeter who can conjure extraordinary, other-worldly colours from his instrument: a bamboo flute; a ghostly ocarina, a human voice on the verge of speech.

Inspired by Icelandic sagas, lilting chants, ancient hymns and fiddle tunes, the quartet present a set of songs where improvisation, mediaeval and traditional music from Scandinavia fuse in lyrical meditations on time, place and belief.

If you find it hard to cram your tastes into those jazz, classical, alternative or ambient pigeon-holes and just love beautiful music, treat your ears to this.

For the audio version of this event page, click here.

To hear the group's note-perfect counterpoint is to be astonished at what the human voice is capable of.

San Francisco Chronicle

A trumpet tone so communicative its almost psychic.

Pitchfork

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