Tuesday, September 24, 8 p.m.
Varaždin Old Castle, Renaissance Hall

Hazelius Hedin

Esbjörn Hazelius, vocal, cittern, violin, guitar
Johan Hedin, vocal, soprano, nyckelharpa, octave nyckelharpa

 

Programme:

SWEDISH FOLK MUSIC

 

 

About performer:

Hazelius Hedin

Two of Sweden’s most established folk musicians united in the duo Hazelius Hedin. They sing and play their Swedish folk music with passion, rare ease and unquestionable presence – it’s impossible to remain unaffected.

Esbjörn Hazelius and Johan Hedin both grew up in the south of Sweden, where the traditional couple dance polska is prevailing. Their repertoire includes everything from medieval ballads, sailor songs, love ballads and instrumental dance tunes. Moreover, Hazelius and Hedin pass on the tradition through their own compositions. They arrange the music carefully often inspired by Esbjörn’s Irish tradition of music arranging, and they constantly look for new instrumental harmonies. On their latest album, Jorland, which was nominated for the Swedish Grammy 2019, the listener is invited not only to a collection of traditional dance tunes, but also newly composed songs. Everything performed with the magic and virtuoso interaction that characterizes Hazelius Hedin.

 

*The nyckelharpa is a Swedish folk music instrument which is played with a bow like a fiddle, has keys like a hurdy-gurdy, and sympathetic strings like a viola d’amore. It has been played for hundreds of years, and the oldest known picture is a stone carving in a church from around 1350. The nyckelharpa was a drone instrument up until the 20th century. The common nyckelharpa played today has about 40 keys in three rows, four melody strings and twelve sympathetic strings.