Author Archives: Morten Alfred

The fall is my favorit time of the year, I love the fresh and clear air, the changing wether and the many beautiful colours, especially when I am traveling, so that I can experience the fall in different versions.

During the coming 2-3 month, I’ll be touring in Denmark and Scotland with my band, Himmerland. I have been looking forward to that for a long time, especially the trip to Orkney where they have a harsh nature, and a fantastic envirement, that Iam pretty crazy about (Not to mention their malt whiskey).

In October I am going to The English Folk Expo in Manchester, England, and to Womex in santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain, to promote and lobby for Danish roots- and folk music, and for our new online radio, Radiofolk.dk.

In the beginning of November, Himmerland goes on a tour in Denmark, to introduce our new album, “The Spider in the Fiddle”, containing 4 old Danish songs in very new arrangements, and a number of new compositions by the band members. Right while I am writing this, we are mixing the new album, and it sound very promising, really! Follow the process on www.himmerland.it.

What a summer: New album with Dwight “Red”” Lamb and Jensen & Bugge just came out, Haapavesi Folk Festival in Finland with ACO, Gooikoorts Int. volksmuziekfestival in Belgium with Himmerland, recordings for Himmerland’s new album at Torben Sminge’s place, recordings for Jensen & Bugge’s new Borcher Madsen-album at Louise Nippers placeon Frederiksberg, going to Samsø to relaxe and compose new music at DJBFA’s house, festivals in Italy and Denmark (Musik over Præstø Fjord and Tønder Festival), Bardentreffen Festival in Nürnberg, Germany, with Fin Alfred (my father), and much, much more…

…and then there is the new job as editor of our new online radio station, broadcasting Danish roots and folk music around the clock at www.radiofolk.dk!

It is great to be busy also during the summer, and it is going to be very interesting to follow these projects the coming months and years.

Now we have arrived in Helsinki where we rehearse a bit before taking the train 600 kilometers up north to Haapavesi where the sun never dissapear at this time a year.

I am traveling with two old friends, the American violinist, Ruthie Dornfeld, and the Finnish bass player, flute player and jews harp player, Tapani Varis, people that I have performed with during many years, and with whom I released the album “Nightmare Polka” in 2012.

Our trio is called ACO (American Café orchestra), and here in Finland, we are going to teach at ‘Haapavesi Folk Music Course’ and perform at ‘Haapavesi Folk Festival’. It is great to play with Ruthie and Tapani and to re-discover how fantastic and inspiring musicians they are – they can make my compositions blossom, and that is just great to experience.

My 13 year old son, Carl Alfred, is traveling with us, he is going to participate in Antti Järvelä’s band playing class – taht is garantied to be a lot of hard work, and a lot of fun for the lad. See more at: www.haapavesifolk.com

During the first weekend of August I am going to play with my old father at the 39th “Bardentreffen Nürnberg”, which will mark that it is exactely 100 years since Germany declared war against Russia, and a couple of days later, against France.

The headline of the festival is “War and Peace”, and the job is to sing soldiers’ songs and peace songs from Denmark, the serious ones as well as the many joking songs that the Danish soldiers used, to keep up the spirit. We will work with a tranlater on stage, and it is going to be ver interesting and probably pretty entertaining, to see the old man tell his many great stories to the German audience through an interpreter.

We have, with generous help from the people behind this great festival, made sure that we have a couple of days in Nürnberg. It has been quite a while since I have been visiting such a large city with my old man, and I am sure that Nürnberg is going to be a lot of fun. We will be looking for exciting instruments, cloth for the traveling people and German beer, of course

More info at www.bardentreffen.de

“Morten Alfred burn for the folk music and for the musicians who plays it. And he works without getting tired to get the message about what the folk music from Denmark is able to, spread out to the world. That is why he is given this price”.

Thus were the words when I received the Danish Musicians Unions Copenhagen Department’s prize as “Fiery Soul of the Year 2014” just reasonly. With the prize followed 15.000 DKR.

It is, of cause always wonderful when people notice and appreciate what you are doing, but to get this price from good colleageues is just fantastic, and it makes me feel absolutely humble. Thank you for the prize, I’ll do my almost to live up to it in the future.

Right now I am mostly focused on my work as editor of Radio Folk, our new internet radio station that ROSA (Dansk Rock Samråd) has started on this adress: www.radiofolk.dk. Here you can listen to Danish roots and folk music around the clock. You can also find us at www.facebook.com/radiofolk.dk.

One year has gone since Himmerland vent to Australia and New Zealand to tour for 22 days. This tour brought us to the National Folk Festival in Canberra, which was a wonderful experience. Ever since then we have worked on being able to return to Australia, and now it is happening. Himmerland has been invited to perform at FolkWorld Fairbridge Festival in the western part of Australia. In Fairbridge they describe Himmerland as “Adrenaline-infused Scandinavian roots music with an African heartbeat”. The festival is happening in the weekend 25th – 27th of April, which is in the Australian autumn when the temperature is down where it is good for out door activities. On our way to Fairbridge we will lperform at venues in the Sydney area, and once more at the National Folk Festival in in Canberra. We wil also do a couple concerts in Melbourne, so all in all we will appear at venues and festivals across Australia from the 17th to the 27th of April. We are very much looking forward to meet all of you, and to introduce you to some of the very new material that we are working on right now, and that we are going to record for our new album in May. You can read more about FolkWorld Fairbridge Festival at: fairbridgefestival.com.au/wp and about National Folk Festival: www.folkfestival.org.au

We in the Danish band Himmerland are working very hard these days to get some new tunes and songs on the repetoire for our upcoming tour in Denmark. The tour starts on March 18th and continues until March 22nd, and we will play new music by the band members, music that was never performed in public before. We have a couple of traditional songs in new arrangements, and new music composed together or by each of us. Come and listen and let us know what you think – the venues is in the calendar of this site. We are looking forward to see you soon! More info at: www.himmerland.it

Now the Danish trio, Sonnich Lydom (accordion), Kristian Bugge (violin) and Morten Alfred Høirup (guitar) has yet new video for you. This live version of the two traditional Danih dance tunes, “Kontra Firtur” and “Wienerkvadrille”, was recorded at a new years concert at Copenhagen Folk Club on the 29th of December 2013. Click here to watch the video! You can get more info about the trio at www.facebook.com/traddk

The year 2013 turned out to be a really exciting year with lots of unforgettable experiences and challenges, and everything is suggesting that 2014 will be at least as eventfull

The old year offered some very nice concerts at dozens of Danish and international venues and festivals, from Tórshavn Domkirke (cathedral) in the Faroe Islands, and the old movie theater in the small French – Canadian town, Montmagny, to Devonport Folk Club in the abandoned bunker on the local mountain, with a beautiful view over New Zealand’s Auckland by night.

Unfortunately, we lost the great old accordionist Thyspillemand Karl Skaarup in November, but he will not be forgotten. We got to celebrate his 85th anniversary as a musician in Vestervig Church in October, and he will continue to inspire all of us who have met him and played with him and listened to him!

The new year will offer plenty of music recordings and concerts in Denmark and abroad, with both the band Himmerland as well as with accordionist Mette Kathrine Jensen and violinist Kristian Bugge. In addition, the American Café Orchestra is meeting in Finland in late June to teach and play on Haapavesi Folk Festival, and Lydom, Bugge & Høirup will be traveling all over Denmark playing traditional Danish music.

During the year of 2014, I will travel in Denmark and Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, Italy and Australia, and I ‘m already looking forward to meeting all of you. Have a wonderful Christmas and a wonderful New Year !

Læs mere på: www.himmerland.it, www.facebook.com/traddk

Himmerland’s album “New Roots Music from Denmark” was just nominated for a Danish Music Award (Danish “Grammy”). We are hoping for the best, but we know very well that the competition is hard on the top. The Galla Award Show is going to be held on the 30th of November 2013. Meanwhile our preparation for the next album has already started, and it looks great already. Follow the band on www.himmerland.it

I have been so lucky recieve seven DMAs with my former duo, Haugaard & Høirup, one with my father, the tradition carrier Fin Alfred Larsen, and one DMA of honour in 2012. But it is still very exciting!