Kirsten Bråten Berg brings us the Norwegian treasure trove of song in 15 tracks. These are songs she learned when she was growing up in Arendal, both at home and as part of the folk dance community in Austegdelaget dance group. Kirsten herself regards it as important to preserve these treasures, which she feels are increasingly losing their footing in the cultural awareness of children and young people in today’s world.

The skilled musicians she works with here provide stimulating accompaniment and lively interludes. They have enriched the recording with their harmonic inventiveness and their surprising sounds and rhythms.

This record was made for a broad public. Grandchildren can give their grandparents a delightful gift which will have them remembering and humming the good old tunes, parents can play their favourites for their children, and not least, this presents a rich source of traditional songs for use in nurseries and for music lessons in primary schools.

The golden age of folksong has, perhaps, faded a bit in the last generation, and we need new inspiration to reawaken our joy in singing. With songs such as Vesle Kari and Blåmann, Kirsten Bråten Berg does her part to restore our joy in the Norwegian treasure trove of song.

Musicians:
Kirsten Bråten Berg – vocals and Jew’s harp
Arild Andersen – double bass
Stian Carstensen – pedal steel guitar, banjo, accordion and background vocals
Annbjørg Lien – Hardanger fiddle, fiddle, keyed fiddle and background vocals
Bjørn Ole Rasch – harmonium, foot-stamping and background vocals
Leiv Solberg – mandola, two-row accordion, Norwegian zither, guitar, whistling, harmonica and background vocals