Recording session 2021 in the bag!

We just came back from a 5 day intense recording session at Reykholt, home of 12th century poet Snorri Sturluson. We recorded in the warm acoustics of the Reykholt Church and managed to cover a lot of material, Icelandic traditional music - folk songs, ballads and original compositions. Some of these tunes have become favorites of ours and we can’t wait to let audiences hear the outcome. We recorded with our favorite recording producer/Tonmeister Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir, and enjoyed the talents of our percussionist friends Eggert Pálsson and Matthías Hemstock on a few tracks.

Trad album team 2021! UMBRA with recording producer Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir and percussionist Matthías Hemstock. Missing from the photo is percussionist Eggert Pálsson.

Back from NKS2021 in Helsinki

We are now back home from Helsinki after two performances in Helsinki, a streaming live concert from the Helsinki Cathedral where we performed a Nordic/European sacred programme, see the programme here, and a performance during the High Sunday Mass at St John’s Church (Johanneksenkirkko), televised in September on the Finnish National Television, see here.

Here is a news article in Swedish with a little information on us and the other performers during the symposium.

A streaming performance from the NKS2021 Symposium in Helsinki, Finland. Photo: Timo Vikman

THE NORDIC CHURCH MUSIC SYMPOSIUM 26-29.8.2021 in Helsinki, Finland

We are honored and excited to be representing Iceland at the Nordic Church Music Symposium in 26-29.8.2021 in Helsinki, Finland. We will perform our own full length concert on Friday the 27th at 19:30 and participate in the grand mass on sunday!

Summer concert at Hallgrímskirkja in Saurbær

Intimate moment at the pretty Hallgrímskirkja church in Saurbær, Hvalfjörður, Iceland.

We won’t make an attempt at translating the site name “Saurbær” (!), but it was home to 17th century poet and minister Hallgrímur Pétursson, who was famous for his beautiful Passion Hymns. A pleasure to perform at the site’s summer concert series and a warm (slightly tanned) crowd.

Concert at the Harpa Concert Hall after a 15 month hiatus

Relieved to be playing in front of a live crowd again after a 15 month concert hiatus, June 3rd at the Harpa Concert Hall.

It was truly wonderful to perform at the Harpa Concert Hall again after a long break from live performance due to Covid 19. We had a stage full of instruments and performed some of our new material that we have been working on during the pandemic, our variations and original compositions of traditional Icelandic material. What a crowd (albeit masked)!