September 8, Sunday, 7 pm
St. Catherine’s Church, Vilniaus g. 30
Chants du Sud et du Nord
Drifting on musical currents between Catalonia and Norway
Ensemble HIRUNDO MARIS | Spain, Norway
- Arianna Savall – voice, gothic harp
- Petter Udland Johansen – voice, Hardanger fiddle, mandolin
- Sveinung Lilleheier – guitar, dobro
- Miquel Àngel Cordero – double-bass
- David Mayoral – percussion
A clear night, a calm sea, and in the distance we hear a mysterious song, an ancient song coming closer and closer... Such is the poetic imagery that is embodied in music through ancient songs, ballads, romances, dances, all becoming part of a special moment in our present existence.
The flight of the sea swallow (Latin hirundo maris) from the South to the North perfectly reflects the main theme of this festival, which encompasses the musical traditions of these very different regions. We observe this nomadic journey from Catalonia to Norway, as retold by these recognized early music performers – the ensemble of harpist and singer Arianna Savall and Petter Udland Johansen, in which we hear the Gothic harp, the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle, and other traditional instruments. The idea behind this programme, which was arranged two years ago and released on CD, is to link the seas of the South and the North through music. The characters featured in this journey include sea-faring Vikings discovering new lands, as well as the fearless, passionate Catalan voyagers and Sephardic Jews, remembering their “lost paradise” in Iberia.