Iceland traditions
Rimur songs (rímnalög):
Rimur are long cycles of poetic verse delivered in a distinctively Icelandic half sung/half chanted style. Rimur poetry is rooted in the country’s ancient literature and the oldest manuscript preserved is from the fourteenth century. In many cases, the poetry of the Rimur is transformed directly from the Sagas and Eddas and contain many of the same themes. The golden age of Rímur was in the 18th and 19th centuries. The rimur at this time were most commonly chanted/sung at farms during a nightly ceremony where families would meet in the living room and while they continued with the day’s work – scraping sheep skins, sewing, weaving etc. – someone would often chant Rimur, either from the many manuscripts which were written and passed around from farm to farm, or simply from memory. The performer, called kvæðamaður, would chant/sing these stories as people worked by candlelight. The chant is reminiscent – and possibly derived from – ancient European styles such as Gregorian chanting. The melodies often bear a resemblance to middle eastern chants but there are no obvious connections between the Icelandic rimur-melodies and the Arabic scales. The melodies do not come with inherent rhythms but follow the rhythm of the text and the interpretation of the kvæðamaður, making each melody and each performance unique.
Next we will present some groups,singers and song types.
I. Funi: Bára Grímsdóttir and Chris Foster - http://www.funi-iceland.com/
Bára and Chris are consummate performers of the traditional songs of Iceland and England. They started working together in 2001, breathing new life into great songs that have been hidden for too long in old recordings, little known books and manuscripts. Bára and Chris have toured widely in mainland Europe, as well as throughout Iceland and Britain. They have also performed in China and made eight visits to the USA, performing and teaching at festivals, concerts, summer schools and appearing on radio and TV. In 2009 they started teaching the first degree level course in Icelandic traditional music at the Icelandic Academy of the Arts.
Bára Grímsdóttir is one of Iceland’s best traditional singers. She is also widely respected in Iceland as a composer, especially of vocal music. She started life surrounded by the folk songs of her parents and grandparents on the family farm Grímstunga in the north of Iceland. Bára has a special interest in the old rímur poetry and their performance techniques but she also sings in other traditional styles, both secular and religious. In her role as composer and arranger, Bára continues to draw on the well of traditional Icelandic music, while as a performer, she invests the traditional songs that she performs with a natural authority born from having been surrounded by them from birth.
Chris Foster grew up in Somerset in the south west of England. A master of his trade, he was recently described as “one of the finest singers and most thoughtful inventive guitar accompanists of English folk songs, meriting legend status.” Over the past 40 years, he has toured throughout the UK, Europe, Canada and the USA. He has recorded six solo albums as well as working on many collaborative projects. On stage, his fine musicianship and powerful singing is underpinned by an urbane wit and engaging enthusiasm, which draws his audiences into the ancient world of storytelling through song. See interview with Funi here
a. The sun (Sólin) from the CD Funi (2003) Bára Grímsdóttir sings four quatrains written by her mother. The tune she learned from her father.
b. My Work (Mitt var starfið from the CD Funi (2003) This poem is by Theodóra Thoroddsen (1863-1954) a poetess best know for the rhyming vers. She had thirteen children with the husband, Skúli Thoroddsen, and no doubt had many socks to darn in the day! The unusual tune is from Svarfaðardalur and was collected by Hallgrímur Helgason. See translation in the video.
II. Steindór Andersen is the most distinguished Icelandic chanter of rímur, but rímur poetry is an important cultural heritage of the Icelandic nation. Under his presidency the rímur-chanting society Iðunn (established 1929) was transformed as Steindór's unique command of the genre and his magnetic stage presence inspired nothing short of a revival. His collaboration with the Icelandic group Sigur Rós, resulting in tours in Europe and the United States, has sparked an unprecedented interest in this hitherto neglected musical form. Steindór has of late been part of various projects whose aim has been cross-cultural fertilization with the intent of bringing the rímur to a wider audience, but at the same time he has been instrumental in preserving the "bare bones" of the tradition so that others may draw inspiration from this simple, yet elaborate, form of music and poetry. Steindór has for many years worked as a fisherman and as captain of his own ship called Iðunn.
a. Mountains in the east, beauty-blue (Fjöll í austri fagurblá) from the EP Rímur with Steindór and Sigur Rós (2001). Lyrics by Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson.
b. Still I return from cold moors (Kem ég enn af köldum heiðum) from the EP Rímur with Steindór and Sigur Rós (2001). Lyrics by Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson.
c. Spring verse (Vorvísur) by Guðmundur skólaskáld, performed at the Herring Era Museum in Siglufjordur for annual meeting of Rímur-singers in Iceland in 2014.
d. Traveling to Breidarfjordur in spring, 1922 (A ferð til Breiðafjarðar vorið 1922) from the EP Rímur with Steindór and Sigur Rós (2001). Lyrics by Jon S. Bergmann.
Quint-song (tvísöngvar)
Quint-songs are undoubtedly the most remarkable of Iceland's musical traditions. It was practiced for at least 700 years, but the 20th century, with its easy access to music from all around the world, almost managed to drive it to extinction. If it hadn't been for the tireless efforts of Siglufjrodur's rev. Bjarni Þorsteinsson (1861-1938), who transcribed several quint-songs and included in his grand volume of Icelandic Folk Songs (his book of almost 1000 pgs. Íslensk Þjóðlög), this treasure of Icelandic music might have been lost. The basic characteristics of quint-songs is that it has two voices moving mostly in parallel fifths and it is often in the Lydian mode. There are two types of quint-songs. One kind typically is applied to a four-line verse - line 1 and 3 is sung in unison, line 2 and 4 in parallel fifths. The other kind, which is less known, has a secondary voice throughout the song that can be above or below the melody, most often a fifth, crossing it at irregular intervals.
I. Here is an example of the first type of quint-song
a. The brook (Lækurinn) from the DVD Voices of Iceland published the the Folk Music Center in Siglufjordur (2009). Performed by the brothers Örn Magnússon and Sigursveinn Magnússon. Poem by Gísli Ólafsson. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMredF5I6Lc
II. Here are some sound examples of the second type of quint-songs performed by members of Ríma, the society of rimur singers in Fjallabyggd. Ríma members meet on average once a week during the winter months and perform for tourists and on special occasions all year round.
a. Man eg þig, mey (I remember you, maiden) performed by Gústaf Daníelsson and Örlygur Kristfinnsson. Poem by Jónas Hallgrímsson.
b. Kláusarvísur (verse about the farmhand Kláus) performed by Gústaf Daníelsson and Örlygur Kristfinnsson. Lyrics by Bjarni Thorarensen.
c. Það mælti mín móðir (So spoke my mother) performed by Gústaf Daníelsson and Örlygur Kristfinnsson. Lyrics by Egill Skallagrímsson.
d. Feigur Fallandason (a man's name) performed by Guðrún Ingimundardóttir and Svanfríður Halldórsdóttir. Lyrics by Hjálmar Jónsson from Bóla.
Folk Songs (þjóðlög)
I. Spilmenn Ríkínis is a family band, whose practice sessions have taken place at home in the west of Reykjavík, Ólafsfjörður and at Hólar, north Iceland, and at Kongegaarden in Korsör, Denmark. Spilmenn Ríkínís gave their first public performance at the Berjadagar Festival in north Iceland in August 2006. They have since appeared at many concerts in both north and south Iceland. Spilmenn Ríkínís perform music from old Icelandic books and manuscripts, on instruments which are known to have been played in Iceland in olden times. It is impossible to tell whether the music sounds now as it did then, but singing that music, and playing those traditional instruments, seems to awaken some long-lost sound - as if we are rediscovering a reality that has been within us all along, without our knowledge. See there facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/spilmennrikinis
a. Vel er þeim er vinskap bindur performed by Spilmenn Ríkínis and arranged by Örn Magnússon, one of the members. Both the song and the lyrics are from the manuscript Melodia (1660).This was recorded in 2013 for the TV show Útúrdúr, at the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RÚV).
b. Ný upp rann þín sumar sól performed by Spilmenn Ríkínis and arranged by Örn Magnússon, one of the members. Both the song and the lyrics are from rev. Bjarni Þorsteinsson's book Icelandic Folk songs (Íslensk þjóðlög).
c. Amorsbönd og byrði þung performed by Spilmenn Ríkínis and arranged by Örn Magnússon, one of the members. The song and lyrics are in rev. Bjarni Þorsteinsson's book Icelandic Folk songs (Íslensk þjóðlög) and also in the manuscript Melodia.
II. Ragnheiður Gröndal (Ragga) has been described as one of Iceland’s most remarkable voices. Ragga is a four-time winner of the Icelandic Music Awards and her albums have sold over 35,000 copies in Iceland. She has been exploring Icelandic folk music in its various forms since 2003 resulting in the album ‘Þjóðlög’ (Folk Songs) released on the 12 Tónar label in 2006. The album received critical acclaim in Iceland, being described as one of the best albums of the year for its authenticity and innovation in Icelandic music traditions. In early 2009 she expanded the project, putting together The Icelandic Folk Ensemble, in collaboration with her brother Haukur Gröndal and renowned guitarist Guðmundur Pétursson. The project then focused on rearranging, in as many colourful ways as possible, the beautiful stories found in Icelandic folklore, with a special emphasis on the rhythmic elements in the music. With two percussionists, a guitarist, folk clarinettist and Ragga’s special interpretation of the ancient lyrics and folklore melodies, the group has found a fresh new sound inspired by the deep-rooted, mysterious and entrancing folk traditions of their home country. Ragga and The Icelandic Folk Ensemble released their debut album Tregagás in October 2009.
a. Ei er andvakan góð, an Icelandic folk song performed by Ragga Gröndal & The Icelandic Folk Ensemble on Iceland's National Public Radio (RÚV).This song is on the album Tregagás with Ragga Gröndaæl & the Icelandic Folk Ensemble, realeased 2009.
b. Blástjarnan an Icelandic folk song performed by Ragga Gröndal. From the CD Þjóðlög (Folk Songs), released 2008.
c. Fram a regin fjallaslóð an Icelandic folk song performed by Ragga Gröndal. From the CD Þjóðlög (Folk Songs), released 2008
d. Skjótt hefur sól brugðist sumri an Icelandic folk song performed by Ragga Gröndal. From the CD Þjóðlög (Folk Songs), released 2008
III. Funi: Bára Grímsdóttir and Chris Foster - http://www.funi-iceland.com/
Bára and Chris are consummate performers of the traditional songs of Iceland and England. They started working together in 2001, breathing new life into great songs that have been hidden for too long in old recordings, little known books and manuscripts. Bára and Chris have toured widely in mainland Europe, as well as throughout Iceland and Britain. They have also performed in China and made eight visits to the USA, performing and teaching at festivals, concerts, summer schools and appearing on radio and TV. In 2009 they started teaching the first degree level course in Icelandic traditional music at the Icelandic Academy of the Arts. Bára Grímsdóttir is one of Iceland’s best traditional singers. She is also widely respected in Iceland as a composer, especially of vocal music. She started life surrounded by the folk songs of her parents and grandparents on the family farm Grímstunga in the north of Iceland. Bára has a special interest in the old rímur poetry and their performance techniques but she also sings in other traditional styles, both secular and religious. In her role as composer and arranger, Bára continues to draw on the well of traditional Icelandic music, while as a performer, she invests the traditional songs that she performs with a natural authority born from having been surrounded by them from birth. Chris Foster grew up in Somerset in the south west of England. A master of his trade, he was recently described as “one of the finest singers and most thoughtful inventive guitar accompanists of English folk songs, meriting legend status.” Over the past 40 years, he has toured throughout the UK, Europe, Canada and the USA. He has recorded six solo albums as well as working on many collaborative projects. On stage, his fine musicianship and powerful singing is underpinned by an urbane wit and engaging enthusiasm, which draws his audiences into the ancient world of storytelling through song. See interview with Funi here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oEEKCDmt44
a. Lilja (Lilja) recorded in 2013 for the TV show Útúrdúr, at the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RÚV) . This song is on the CD Funi. This tune is preserved in the collection of Jean Benjamin Laborde from 1780, Essai sur la musiqu ancienne et moderne, who got it from Jón Ólafsson from Grunnavík. A fourteenth century monk, Eysteinn Ásgrímsson, is the author of the Catholic poem, which has over a hundred verses. it was believed that those who could recite a verse from Lilja would not be haunted by ghosts. Lilja referes to the Virgin Mary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcaBXoHBmes
b. Aldrei skal ég gleyma þér (I shall never forget you)which is a popular Icelandic folk song. Bára has composed a special little tune for the 3rd verse. Here Funi has combined verses: The first verse is by Magnús Guðmundsson but the others are by Rósa Guðmundsdóttir, better know as Poet-Rósa. This song is on the CD Flúr, released 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcSG0sxqsMM