Release concert: Eivør – Larva

On the 12′th and 13′th of may, we will be performing with Eivør at the faroese release of her new CD – Larva.

The concerts will be at Sjónleikarahúsið in Thorshavn, Faroe Islands.

Recording Knút Olsen compositions in may 2010

Having had two good spring concerts in april 2010, in collaboration with the faroese string quartet DORIA, we are now taking on the next project, which is recording a CD with works of the faroese composer Knút Olsen.

Knút has been productive for several decades, and has produced many choir compositions during this period. Many of these compositions have gone on to become very popular, and now the time has come, to collect some of his works on a dedicated CD.

Mpiri will be recording a number of works alone, and a number of works with the faroese choir TARIRA. Tarira will as well be recording a number of works alone.

Recording with Eivør

Sunday 15. november Mpiri recorded some backing vocals for the upcoming Eivør record, due in the spring 2010. The recording went well, though nearly nine hours of singing without any real break, is a lot. Eivør is very talented and has won several prizes in several countries, so it was no surprise that the music was good, but for this record she has changed her style somewhat, and that change i good. She has gone from very good to better.

The recordings were done at Baby Factory Studio in Copenhagen. Mpiri recorded 7 songs arranged by Tróndur Bogason, and although we haven’t heard the final result, we are very optimistic about the result.

Eivør is concentrating while the girls are singing. Gísli is in the back

Mpiri, Eivør and Jens. 15. november 2009 in Baby Factory Studio, Nørrebro, Copenhagen, Denmark

In september/october Mpiri and the danish dance company Saga Dance Company, went on a tour of the north atlantic, with the modern dance play Barbara, based on a novel by the faroese writer Jørgen Frantz Jacobsen, written in 1938. The play was set up as modern dance accompanied with acapella singing and electronica.

Ingrid Thranum-Jensen who is leader of Saga Dance Company, directed the play, and Tróndur Bogason composed the music.

These were the dates of the tour:

26/9 – Hafnafjarðar Theater, Iceland
27/9 – Hafnafjarðar Theater, Iceland
1/10 – Løkshøll, Rúnavík, Faroe Islands
3/10 – Nordic House, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
9/10 – The Black Diamond, Copenhagen, Denmark

Mpiri participated with 9 singers, 1 conductor and 1 composer. Saga Dance Company participated with 5 dancers, 1 lighting composer and 1 director.

The tour was a great experience for all of us. It is exciting to mix different expressive art forms in such a way, that all participants are important characters in the story. All the more satisfying to see how well the play was received by the audience.

But for all of the singers, it was especially demanding, as it is quite a step into the unknown, to have singers moving around on the stage while singing and expressing the story with face and body.