Arv og Slarv

Norway's Tone Prize is a prestigious award for young singers. It was won two years ago by the 18-year-old Mari Midtli. She's picked up more prizes since then, performed with orchestras and formed her own band Firo, whose aim is to perform traditional music in a way that draws audiences in while only using traditional instruments. Another prize-winner, Bjørn Kåre Odde, joins her on fiddle and viola, while his brother Mads Erik Odde plays accordion, as does Øyvind Sandum who also plays zither.
The opening track, ‘Kråkevisa (The Song of the Crow), is one of the best-known Norwegian folk songs. Midtli's clear voice captures the atmosphere of frivolity perfectly and it's immediately obvious that she's a great communicator. Dance tunes abound with the instrumentalists weaving delicate textures around witty, punchy rhythms, interspersed with ballads and village songs. The ballad of ‘Herr Ole’ has the directness and sadness of a Schubert song while ‘Kari og Mari’ is a playground delight.
Firo's efforts to find new music from the archives has given us a delightful album, beautifully performed.