Berit Opheim, Karl Seglem, Nils Økland, Sigbjørn Apeland
Draumkvedet, our most well-known medieval ballad, is a true January classic and a tradition for many music lovers. One of Norway’s leading folk singers, Berit Opheim, has worked with Draumkvedet throughout her entire artistic life and performed it countless times. Like no one else, she conveys the story of Olav Åsteson, who falls asleep on Christmas Eve and wakes up on the thirteenth day of Christmas.
In the newly restored Korskirken Church in Bergen, Berit Opheim interprets this great visionary poem together with three of her closest musician friends, Karl Seglem, Nils Økland and Sigbjørn Apeland. All are known for seeking new expressions and challenging established traditions. Experiencing Draumkvedet in January with Berit Opheim and these three outstanding musicians is something to treasure, whether it is your first encounter with the ballad or a yearly tradition. The concert is based on the CD release Opheim and Seglem made in 2009, where the famous medieval ballad emerges as a unique musical vision poem.
“The warmth and resonance of her voice, and her delicate sensitivity to the ballad’s rich atmosphere, draw you into the deep seriousness of the story. Her vocal command is total. She is the foremost in her art form and once again demonstrates her mastery.” – Aftenposten
BERIT OPHEIM vocals
KARL SEGLEM bukkehorn, electronics
NILS ØKLAND Hardanger fiddle
SIGBJØRN APELAND pump organ
About Draumkvedet:
We encounter the dreams and visions of Olav Åsteson. He fell asleep on Christmas Eve and woke up on the thirteenth day of Christmas. In his dreams, he wandered through the realm of the dead and saw sinners receive their punishment. However, Draumkvedet is not only about heaven and hell. Olav Åsteson’s journey is about becoming a whole human being, and the powerful, unsettling and hauntingly beautiful dreams contain much of what a human life can dream of and long for.
Draumkvedet was written down by Jørgen Moe and M.B. Landstad in the mid-1800s and holds a unique position in Norwegian and Nordic folk poetry. This visionary poem fascinates, challenges and provokes, and is the most central and important medieval ballad we know.
Doors open at 19:00, concert starts at 19:30