AVAILABILITY
http://www.mic.is/english/index.htm
http://notendur.centrum.is/~ssb/distribution.htm
This is a haunting disc. The prospect of 73 minutes
of short pieces for unaccompanied choir was not superficially
appealing. How wrong I was. The Hamrahlid College choir is extraordinarily
fine. Perhaps the most striking thing being their uncannily accurate
intonation in many very difficult pieces. They do not go for easy
options in repertoire as can be seen above. Some of the music
is very powerful indeed despite its brevity. Take for example
The Dark Earth Drinks by Nordal, written in 1986. It is
only 4 minutes long but knocks one sideways with its astringency
and drama. Summer Rain Sings Out by Hildigunnur Runarsdottir
has a haunting solo, beautifully sung here by the composer’s sister,
Hallveig. Towards the end of the recital her chorus Sleepless
Night features another sibling as soloist, the composer’s
brother Olafur. Birgisson’s Amor has rhythmic drive, April
Night Song by Ragnarsson is another piece I would characterise
as astringent, but in this case atmospheric rather than dramatic.
There are 21 items on the disc and each invites the closest attention.
The CD is beautifully recorded in the stunningly
clean acoustics of various Icelandic churches. The only criticism
I have is that a very faint hum can be heard on some tracks, as
if the organ pump had been left on. This does not detract from
a real "must have" disc. The gatefold sleeve has a panoramic
view of some typically wild Icelandic landscape, the notes are
very detailed and include all the words. Recordings from the Icelandic
Music Information Centre are reasonably easy to get but not always
quick. See their website at http://www.mic.is/english/index.htm
where they admit that this is due to having just 1.5 members of
staff! I would advise persistence. This disc has the potential
to be another of those unexpected hits, like the Abbess Hildegaard
recordings were for the late Ted Perry and Hyperion. See also
http://notendur.centrum.is/~ssb/distribution.htm
. I should point out that the company name Smekkleysa means
Bad Taste in Icelandic and for this you might find your browser
alerting you prior to linking, mine did! Finally can I apologise
to Icelandic speakers who will notice a complete lack of diacritics
in the names listed at the top.
Dave Billinge
Hallveig Runarsdottir (soprano),
Olafur Runarsson (baritone), Eggert Palsson (percussion) 
