Author Archives: Morten Alfred

Sonnich Lydom (Harmonica and accordion), Kristian Bugge (Violin) og I are visiting the little Danish island Læsø which is situated in the very north of Denmark in Kattegat between Frederikshavn and Göteborg. We will perform our program of traditional Danish songs and tunes in the little yellow Østerby Kirke (Østerby Church).

It’s only our third concert together in this little trio, and I am very much looking forward to this – not only to play with the trio, men also to visit Læsø where I have never been before. This is one of the privileges that we have being traveling musicians: We get well around and we meet a lot of fantastic people and communities. Læsø has been on my wishlist for a long time, and I am sure that it would be a pretty good idea have a look at a couple of the famous Læsø tunes before the concert, don’t you think?

Click here to see Lydom, Bugge and Høirup performing a couple of good old Danish reels in the streets of Copenhagen, only interupted by a lady in pink who gets very happy.

American Café Orchestra is a trio featuring the unique musicianship of fiddler Ruthie Dornfeld (W.A., The US), and bass, flute and jaws harp player Tapani Varis (Finland), and then of course myself, guitarist and singer, Morten Alfred Høirup (Copenhagen, Denmark). The three of us has played together on and off for many years, the band has released four recordings with traditional music from Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, The US, Venezuela, Hungary, Brazil and more, and in 2012, we recorded the album “Nightmare Polka”, with all new music composed by the three of us.

The band has toured in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Germany and The US, and in late June 2014 we will meet in Finland to teach at the Haapavesi Summer School, and to perform at Haapavesi Folk Music Festivall in the provinse of Oulu in Ostrobothnia.

The Folk/World band, Himmerland, will be recording their second album in May 2014, this time with compositions by all the band members, plus a few traditional songs. Himmerland released their first album, “New Roots Music from Denmark” in August 2012, an album that has gotten very good reviews, especially outside Denmark.

The band has been traveling, presenting the album in Europe, Russia, Ukraine, South America, Canada, Austrlaia and new Zealand.

During the coming months everybody in the band will be working composing, arranging and rehearsing the music for the album. Then we will be ready to record and tour this new music in Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Australia, Scotland and more. The album is expected to be released in the fall 2014.

Please go to Himmerland’s website to read more about the band and to watch videos from venues and festivals around the world. Go to: www.himmerland.it

Around 500 happy guests found their way to Vestervig Kirke (Vestervig Curch), the largest village church in the all Nordic countries, to pay their tribute to the Danish accordionist Karl Skaarup’s 85th anniversary as a traditional musician. Through out the afternoon the old master is celebrated with speaches, songs and music, directed by former radio host Alan Kligaard. Orchestras and musicians from all over Denmark join in to show their respect and to play with the old man, who himself add to the excitement by playing a few very touching solo tunes.

As an extra tribute the many guests performed Skaarup’s song “Lillys Vals” (Lilly’s Waltz) for Skaarup and his love. After this Karl expressed his apreciation, and many of the guests continued their journey to Hørdum Kro (Hørdum Inn), where the had dinner and danced all night – together with Karl and Lilly of cause.

Click here to see a short video from the very beginning of the concert.

On Saturday October 12th three pretty different Danish bands awill perform at Dexter’s in Odense. What do we have in common? Well, we all feature a guitar player from the Høirup family. Simon Høirup Band play blues-rock with the guitar player Simon Høirup in front, The shorline Stay plays a blend of singer-songwriter material and pop, featuring the guitar player Thomas Høirup, and Himmerland plays folk-world music with me playing the guitar!

See you there?

More info: www.dexter.dk

During the period 16th – 19th of Oktober, my band “Himmerland” will perform in England at a couple of folk clubs and an outstanding world music festival. The folk clubs are the Rivelin Folk Club in Sheffield og and the Hebden Bridge Trades Club i West York, the festival is the Musicport World Music Festival, “the biggest indoor world music festival in UK”.

Musicport World Music Festival is situated in the old whaling town Whitby on the English East coast. This was where the Danish vikings was ravaging many years ago, this is where Captain Cook was trained, and this is where Count Dracula went ashore when coming to England in the late 19th century, according to Bram Stoker legendary novel. I am reading this scary novel with my youngest son (12 Years) right now, and it’s all very exciting!

The festival was started in 2000, and is being financially supported by Arts Council England, and we can’t wait to go!

More info at: www.himmerland.it og på www.musicportfestival.com

On Saturday the 5th of October I was invited to join the celebration of Mr. Karl Skaarup’s 85th aniversary as a professional accordion player. The aniversary concert will take place in Vestervig Kirke in the very North of Jutland, not far from where Karl lives, and quite a number of musicians, including the old master himself, will take part in the celebrations.

During the last year or so, I have been so lucy to play a number of dances together with Karl Skaarup and the young fiddler Kristian Bugge, and I am very much looking forward to perform at this anniversary concert:

I do have a lot of respect for the old man and his knowledge of the traditional music of his area, and even though he will soon turn 90, he is still one musical power station, and playing with him is just amazing. He once told me how he played his first dance in 1928 when he was 4 years old, and how the dancers would sing along with him to support him and the melody of the local dance tunes. Karl Skaarup is a fantastic musician, he has played the accordion all his life, and I am sure he will play it until his very last moment.

For more info, click here.

Himmerland just played a couple of concerts at the annual Halkær Festival, sharing stage with JPP (SF) and Fiddler’s Bid (SCO). The Danish band featured the two fiddlers Ditte Fromseier Hockings and Kirstine Sand, in a few tunes, amongst them a haunting version of “Gæstebud” and “Skrumlehesten”, written by me and by Ditte Fromseier. The next concert with Himmerland is at Huset i Magstræde in Copenhagen on July 9th. More info at: www.worldscene.dk

To watch a video of the two tunes played at Halkær Festival by Himmerland and the fiddling sisters, please click here.

This summer from July 18th to July 23rd 2013, Himmerland return to Faroe Island with great pleasure. The band performed it’s first real concerts on Faroe Islands during the summer 2010, and now we are looking very much forward to show how much has happend to our music since then!

Summartónar 2013 is a festival for new music arranged by Felagið Føroysk Tónaskøld (Association of Faroese Composers), and held at venues and concert halls all over the islands.

The festival is running the whole summer from June 25th to August 17th 2013, and it introduces its audience to a large number of outstanding local composers and musicians, as well as quite a few names from outside the Faroe Islands.

This time Himmerland might be performing mostly in Tórshavn, the capitol of Faroe Islands, but also the island Nolsoy, and the G! Festival in Gøta, will be visited by the traveling quintet.

More info at: www.tutl.com

This year will offer concerts at venues and festivals in large parts of the world. During the last 30 years, I have been performing a lot of concerts around the world, and the next year or so is not going to be a exception. I am going to perform at very different places, such as Vestervig Kirke in Thy, in the Northern part of Denmark, Nordens Hus on Faroe Islands, Kaustinen Folk Festival in Finland, and Carrefour Mondial de l’Accordéon in Montmagny, Québec, Canada.

The concerts will be performed together with musicians from Denmark and abroad, and the tunes and songs will both traditional, but especially original material.

During the next year or so I am so lucky to perform in Denmark, Germany, The Faroe Islands, Finland, Italy, England, Canada and Australia.

I will appear on several new CDs in 2013 both as a special guest, and with my own bands.