Led by Catalan musician Arianna Savall and Norwegian musician Petter Udland Johansen, the Hirundo Maris ensemble (latin for "sea swallow") invites us on a somewhat mystical journey into the world of winter - particularly the Christmas and Advent period. Most of the songs are traditional (with some excursions into Praetorius’ and Juan García de Zéspedes’ early Baroque), from both Northern and Southern Europe, as the swallow in question metaphorically travels from Norway to Catalonia. The musicians of the ensemble arrange and adapt the music themselves, giving a very original and personal sound. They alternate between medieval classical and modern folk songs, with instruments that seem to come from a distant past…
We hear a cittern, Scottish bagpipes, a flageolet from the British Isles, a Dobro (a folk guitar with a resonator, written with a capital letter as the model is registered), a cornet, a double bass, percussion, as well as Ariana Savall's triple harp and Johansen's Hardanger violin. The instruments come from all over Europe, each adding their own brand of folk and popular cultural heritage to the mix. The cardinal points here are music from oral tradition, old music from the depths of the Middle Ages, pieces conceived by Hirundo Maris, and improvisation. The ensemble blurs the stylistic boundaries and guarantees exemplary artistry. Of course, the album closes with Gruber's almost mandatory Silent Night , written in 1818, performed here in a somewhat international folk version. © SM/Qobuz