Now it is finally coming, the EP that the Danish singer Mia Guldhammer and I recorded at Nørrebro in Copenhagen in December 2018. Our Danish record company Go Danish Folk Music is releasing the album, and we are super proud of the result.
You can find the album online on Spotify, iTunes or where ever you use get your music..
The album which is titled ‘Havde jeg blot Vinger/If only I had Wings’, after an old song from the island of Fanø, contains 5 songs and tunes. This is the linernotes of the album (EP) in English:
Mia Guldhammer (Vocals, Shruti box, Percussion) & Morten Alfred Høirup (Vocals, Guitars) is a brand new vocal duo from Denmark. They are both wellknown and highly respected for their work in bands like Virelai, Mallebrok, Haugaard & Høirup and Himmerland, bands with whom they have been touring intensely all over the World for many years.
Now the two musicians have joined forces, introducing something new on the international folk and world music scene, focussing on the old Danish songs and ballads, mixed with their own newly-composed music – all arranged for two vocals, guitars and ‘shruti box’ – an Indian drone instrument.
- En sang jeg fremfører/Bette mand i knibe (‘A song I Perform’/’Little man in a fix’) Trad. Danish 2:52 (ISRC DK-6KA-19-001-01)
- Huset ved havet (‘The House by the Sea’) Composer: Morten Alfred Høirup 2:18 (ISRC DK-6KA-19-001-02)
- Rundt på gulvet/Dansen (‘Around on the Floor’/’The Dance’) Trad. Danish/M. Guldhammer & M. A. Høirup 4:08 (ISRC DK-6KA-19-001-03)
- Sig mig hvor mange har elsket dig (‘Tell me how many has Loved You’) Composer: Don Robertson/Howard Barnes 3:30 (ISRC DK-6KA-19-001-04)
- Sorgen/Håbets dans (‘The Grief’/’Dance of Hope’)’Trad. Danish/M.A. Høirup 2:53 (ISRC DK-6KA-19-001-05)
Performed by Mia Guldhammer (Vocals, shruti box) & Morten Alfred Høirup (Vocals, guitars). All songs arranged and performed ‘live’ in the studio by Mia Guldhammer & Morten Alfred Høirup. Recorded by Tobias Elof in Malorka Studio, Dec 2018. Mixed and mastered by Louise Nipper at Soundscape Studio, Dec 2018. Released by Go’ Danish Folk Music (GO0119). Label Code: LC 09240. More info about the duo at: Mia Guldhammer: www.miaguldhammer.dk, and Morten Alfred Høirup: www.mortenalfred.com. Booking: mortenalfred@gmail.com. File under Nordic Folk/World Music
About the songs:
- En sang jeg fremfører/Bette mand i knibe
An old traditional Danish love song about being left by your lover, put together with an old dance tune called ‘Little man in a fix’, or ‘Little man in Trouble’. ‘Goodbye my sweet girl, I wish you and your boyfriend all the best. You are now taking a new lover, but I think that you might very well regret that later, when you think about what you promised to me earlier on’
- Huset ved havet
Morten Alfred originally composed this tune for a Danish TV documentary. ‘The House by the Sea’ is not a real ‘house’, it is a ‘mental house’ where you can seek refuge, when you need to be alone to meditate or reflect about your life and your situation.
- Rundt på gulvet/Dansen
Rundt på gulvet (‘Around the floor’) is an old traditional song from the Danish island of Fanø, situated in the south western part of the country, not far from the German border. The song is about a young girl who has two lovers, and it starts like this: ‘Oh if only I had wings, and was a little bird, then I would fly to a strange country, where no males are living’. The first of her two lovers is named ‘Joy’, the second is called ‘Dancing’, and she often walks around the dance floor with both, using the very light steps of the youth. The song is being followed by ‘Dansen’ (The dance), a little dance tune composed by Mia & Morten illustrating this powerfull young girl dancing.
- Sig mig hvor mange
Sig mig hvor mange (‘Tell me how many’) is a originally an American song, adapted by the Danish Travelers. ‘The Danish Travelers’ were gypsies, cirkus artists, musicians and other people traveling the country especially during spring, summer and autumn, and living in camps in the cities during winter time. This version of the song was first recorded in Denmark around 1959, featuring the great musician Antonius Sambleben singing and playing his guitar. In the song a man is asking his girlfriend how many that has kissed her as tender as he has – but he begs her not to answer his question, because he really doesn’t want to know. He also asks how many has loved her the way he does, and continues: ‘Please tell me how many has hurt you as deep as I have now? How many, I ask you, even though I really don’t want to know…’
- Sorgen/Håbets dans
Old Danish song with a lot of verses. We have chosen two, here is a quick translation:
I got a grief so deep
In my young days
It will never leave me
As long as I live.
It is the deepest grief
That any person can feel
It is to love somebody
That you can never get
Now I will wish for you
So many good days
As the linden tree carries foliage
And the beech tree carries leafs
As the fish in the sea
As the sand on the beach
As the stars beyond number
In the heavenly hall of joy
This song continues into Morten’s tune Håbets dans, a tune that seeks to inspire hope.