Slåttesong

“It’s great to be at a point where it’s the music that’s in focus and not where it comes from.” This is Hardanger fiddle player and musical adventurer Erlend Apneseth speaking in 2019 about his release, the innovative avant-folk Salika, Molikafeaturing his trio and accordionist Frode Haltli. It’s an interesting thought to take into his latest CD, Slåttesang, which celebrates traditional solo music from Norway’s Hallingdal region, with Apneseth playing fiddle and unaccompanied song from vocalist Margit Myhr.

As they take turns to play traditional tunes, hymns and newer compositions, we find ourselves on a gently led pathway through the valley where the music does shine above all else. There’s lots of exquisite detail here, with the different tunes ornamented much as birdsong embellishes the countryside. Myhr’s rendition of ‘Gro Gudmundsrud’ is utterly bewitching, and Apneseth’s composition ‘Valdrisen’ shows that he’s totally at one with his instrument, searching out its beauty and mischief. For both Apneseth and Myhr folk music is right at the heart of so much of what they do; it’s an inspiration and a tribute to those who have gone before collecting the music of the region. Slåttesong reveals a magical partnership where the music is absolutely in focus.