Trio Mediaeval

Founded in Oslo in 1997, trio mediaeval has developed three distinct strands of repertoire: polyphonic medieval music from England and France, contemporary works and Norwegian medieval ballads and songs. The group's initial phase was inspired by intense periods of work at the Hilliard Summer Festival in England and Germany, and subsequently with Linda Hirst and John Potter.

trio mediaeval has given concerts and radio broadcasts throughout Europe, in the USA and Canada. The ensemble released its first CD on ECM Records in October 2001. 'Words of the Angel' immediately went to The Billboard Top 10 Bestsellers list and was the April 2002 Stereophile "Recording of the Month." In January 2004 the trio released its second CD 'Soir dit-elle' on ECM Records. Also this recording was on the Billboard Top 10 list for weeks. The release concert was recorded by Norwegian television (NRK 1) for the series 'Megafon', and was broadcast in May 2004. The group released its third CD 'Stella Maris' in September last year. On Christmas day 2005 the trio, together with Gavin Bryars and Roger Heaton, gave a concert from Härkeberga Kyrka on Swedish Television, SVT 2 in the programme 'veckans konsert' (concert of the week). In June 2006 the trio performed with Tord Gustavsen Trio in a world premiere collaboration concert in Harstad, at the Festspillene i Nord-Norge. Tord composed the music; ‘musical miniatures’ with lyrics by the Sufi poet Jelaluddin Rumi (1207-1273). This summer the two trios have met again, during the Festspillene in Bergen, where the trio medieval was the ‘Artist in Residence’ for two weeks, and later at the Festspillene i Elverum.

The trio has collaborated with many composers, including Gavin Bryars, Ivan Moody, Roger Marsh, Paul Robinson, Piers Hellawell, Isobel Davies (UK), William Brooks, Julia Wolfe, David Lang, Michael Gordon (USA), Thoma Simaku (Albania), Oleh Harkavyy (Ukraine), Gonzalo Macías (Mexico), Bjørn Kruse, Andrew Smith and Trygve Seim, Tord Gustavsen (Norway) and Sungji Hong (Korea).

In November 2005 the Trio Mediaeval performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York together with the German musikFabrik in 'Shelter'; a Contemporary Oratorio with projections, with music by the American composer-trio Bang on a Can (Julia Wolfe, David Lang and Michael Gordon). The work had its European premier in Cologne and Essen in Germany early last year, and has since then been performed in Amsterdam, Antwerp and St.Pölten. The Oratorio will be performed in Oslo in October during the Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music festival.

Trio mediaeval has now been performing in 25 states in the USA. The first tour this year (March) took the group to Austin, San Francisco, New York, Amherst, Boston and Darthmouth. In Nov/Dec 07 the trio will tour the US again with a programme consisting of Norwegian traditional folk songs, medieval ballads, and Norwegian holiday hymns. For this project the trio expands in to a quartet, bringing the Norwegian percussionist Birger Mistereggen as the fourth part to the group. The tour will end in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall where the trio had the pleasure of performing last December.

Discography

Folk Songs

Det lisle Banet (The Little Child) So Ro, Godt Barn (Rest Now, Sweet Child) Villemann og Magnhild (Villemann and Magnhild Tjovane (The Thieves) Nu Solen Gar Ned (The Sun is Setting) I Mine Kate Ungdomsdagar (In My Reckless, Youthful Days) Gjendines Badnlat (Gjendine's Lullaby) Rolandskvadet (The Song of Roland) Solbonn (Sun-Prayer) Nu Vilar Hela Jorden (All the Earth Now Rests in Peace) Eg Aktar Inkje (I Don't Think Much of those Boys) Den Elskte Jerusalem (Beloved Jerusalem) Till, Till Tove Eg Veit I Himmerik Ei Borg (I Know a Stronghold in Heaven) Lova Line Danse, ikke Grate Na (Dance, Do Not Cry) Den Signede Dag (The Day of Joy) Folkefrelsar, Til Oss Kom (Saviour of the Nations, Come

The Norwegian women's ensemble Trio Mediaeval specializes in early music, but also sings new music, and in this album it branches out to arrangements of folk songs. Folk musician Tone Krohn and group member Linn Andrea Fuglseth made the arrangements, which are magical and lovely. Given the constantly evolving conventions of the folk repertoire, the trio and arrangers are under no constraints to discover and follow an authentic performance practice for the songs, so the arrangements are stylistically and idiomatically varied. They retain the simplicity of a folk song, but the harmonies frequently push the folk style toward a heightened expressivity through the judicious (and highly effective) use of dissonance. One of the most striking characteristics of the arrangements is the textural variety they achieve -- it's frequently hard to believe that only three voices are able to create such a rich contrapuntal web. The group sings with great purity and excellent blend, so the tart harmonies really ring, and their rhythmic incisiveness keeps the music lilting. Birger Mistereggen accompanies them on various percussion instruments, drums, and jew's harp. His contributions are discreet, but add immeasurably to the color and atmospheric variety of the music. ECM's sound is characteristically immaculate, with good resonance. The beautifully performed and produced disc should appeal equally to lovers of folk music, women's voices, and contemporary music for small vocal ensembles.

Listen to "Dance, Do Not Cry" in Real Audio.

Stella Maris

Flos regalis virginalis O Maria, stella maris, conductus Quem trina polluit Dou Way, Robin Veni creator spiritus Dum sigillum summi Patris Beata viscera Missa lumen de lumine

Anna, Linn and Torunn, the 3 beautiful women who are Oslo, Norway’s brilliant, ethereal Trio Mediaeval, bring us their second CD. The group’s chosen repertoire of polyphonic medieval music from England and France, and contemporary works is represented here by 7 haunting polyphonic pieces from 12th and 13th century England (favorites being 2 odes to the Virgin Mary, "Flos regalis virginalis" and "O Maria, stella maris;" the group-arranged "Dou way Robyn/Sancta Mater," and 3-voice conductus "Veni creator spiritus" and "Beata viscera;" and 2-voice conductus "Dum sigillum." In addition there are the 5 movements of a contemporary work by Korean composer Sungji Hong, "Missa Lumen de Lumine," dedicated to Trio Mediaeval and written for 3 voices. The ringing tones and soaring harmonies take us to a sublime soundscape of wonder and meditation.

Listen to "O Maria, stella maris, conductus" in Real Audio.

Soir, dit-elle

Kyrie Gloria Laude novella Ave regina gloriosa Credo Ave Maria Regina caeli Ave donna santissima Sanctus The Troparion of Kassiani Venite a laudare A Lion's Sleep Agnus Dei Alma redemptoris mater

Founded in Oslo in 1997, trio mediaeval's repertoire is polyphonic medieval music from England and France, contemporary works and Norwegian medieval ballads and songs. Their first CD, "Words of the Angel," was released in 2001 and immediately went to the Billboard Top 10 Bestsellers list. "Soir, dit-elle" was released in 2004 and remained on the top-10 list for weeks. Linn, Torunn and Anna, trio mediaeval, sing music spanning some 500 years, but to them it is part of a timeless present. "Soir" has a sacred work by Leonel Power (1370-1445), "Missa "Alma redemptoris mater;" and 5 contemporary works, all composed for the group: Ivan Moody's "The Troparion of Kassiani," Gavin Bryars' "Laude novella—Ave regina gloriosa" and "Ave donna santissima—Venite a laudare," Andrew Smith's "Ave Maria—Regina caeli," and Oleh Harkavyy's "Kyrie." The perfect voices rise and blend in the atmosphere, carrying us up to another realm, a place of beauty, peace and meditation.

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