release date: 07.02.2025 on Jazzland Recordings
In the Country, Slettahjell & Reiersrud’s third album “Remembrance” is a unique feminist Norwegian music project rooted in the powerful poets based on the three English Brontë sisters and American Emily Dickinson, who wrote poems on each continent nearly 200 years ago. Brontë and Dickinson had a huge production of high quality poems, often quite emotional, which still today hits home.
From each side of the Atlantic these authors points to each other in a quite supplementary way, which gives root to a beautiful and deep dialogue in the music. This dialogue transforms into a new dimension when two of Norway’s finest vocalists Solveig Slettahjell and Sidsel Endresen voices this grand project.
The band, who’s core is the piano trio In the Country, comprised of pianist and composer Morten Qvenild (Susanna & The Magical Orchestra), bassist Roger Arntzen and drummer Pål Hausken, have since 2014 teamed up with vocalist Solveig Slettahjell and guitarist Knut Reiersrud, and released the same year their Norwegian grammy nominated live-debut-album “Norwegian Woods” on the German label ACT, which was recorded at Berlin Philharmonic hall at the concert series “Jazz at the Philharmonic”. They released their first studio album “Trail of Souls” in 2015, and ten years later – in January 2025 – they are finally releasing their grandiose album “Remembrance”.
a note from Morten Qvenild:
A few years ago, I worked in an incredibly nice musical collaboration with Terje Johannesen, Line Horntveth and Martin Horntveth . That was my introduction to the Brontë sisters’ lyrics. 15 years later, I have two more girls in my life, and this gravitated me strongly back to these lyrics.
The fact that I became a father to two girls put these different conditions for different genders in a very close and strong perspective for me, and the inequalities in the treatment of gender are still there. There are far too many examples. I am also imprinted in this culture and wanted to try to say something about this through an artistic project. The Brontë sisters are an incredible example of strong voices despite enormous differential treatment and poor conditions. My songwriting started with a spark from an album from the 80s by another incredibly strong artist voice, Anne Grete Preus, who set poems by Jens Bjørneboe to music on the album Fullmåne. I listened to it to death when I was 10 years old.
When the dialogue between Brontë and Dickinson became clear to me, and the dialogue between Solveig Slettahjell and Sidsel Endresen revealed itself musically, there was obviously an incredibly strong driving force and explosive power. When the little girls in their symbolic obscurity appear on the cover, the framing becomes complete and shows a development. However, at the same time, it also conveys that we are still influenced by culture and habitual thinking and that discrimination still exists on many levels, not only in relation to gender.
Now I feel both rejuvenated and a little old; the reviews are pouring in as if it were 2001, and I am very, very grateful for this record and for generations upon generations of strong and capable women. And for the little girls who are not quite so little anymore
***
Album:
IN THE COUNTRY SOLVEIG SLETTAHJELL & KNUT REIERSRUD – Remembrance
formats: CD / LP / DL
label: JAZZLAND RECORDINGS
release date: 7th February 2025
Tracklist:
1. This is my letter to the world 04:20 Emily Dickinson
2. To the Bluebell 05:23 Emily Brontë
3. Remembrance 05:30 Emily Brontë
4. Parting 06:04 Charlotte Brontë
5. She dried her tears and they did smile04:33 Emily Brontë
6. The night is darkening 06:27 Emily Brontë
7. The night-wind 06:34 Emily Brontë
8. Charlotte Brontë’s grave 05:45 Emily Dickinson
9. Waiting 3:20 Emily Dickinson
Line Up:
SOLVEIG SLETTAHJELL vocals
MORTEN QVENILD hyper (sonal), grand piano, harmonium, synthesizers,
clavichord, cembalo, church organ fx, programming, and vocals
PÅL HAUSKEN drums, percussion
ROGER ARNTZEN double bass, electric bass
KNUT REIERSRUD guitars, fiddle
SIDSEL ENDRESEN text recitation
All music written by Morten Qvenild except “She Dried Her Tears” music written by Terje Johannesen.
Arranged by Morten Qvenild with In The Country, Solveig Slettahjell and Knut Reiersrud