MUSICON - Ábifruvvá (2023) WP

"Ábifruvvá", by Eric Skytterholm Egan, for violin and sympolin (or Hardanger fiddle) and quadrophonic tape, was premiered in Durham Town Hall on 5th May 2023.
Mainly Two:
John Garner, violin
Marie Schreer, sympolin
Ábifruvvá takes its title from the Sámi word for mermaid. The piece is rooted in exploring hidden narratives and cultural conflicts resultant from Western societal expansion and encroachment on nature in the North of Norway. It is rooted in how the past is linked to the present in our relationship to, and existence by, through, and on the sea.
The four-track tape part is adapted from field recordings made at sea off Andøya. They consist of a variety of boat sounds, from old wooden fishing boats to ribs and industrial vessels, rescored for violin and sympolin. All the sounds from the speakers are played on these two instruments.
Ábifruvvá was composed as part of the Exploring Arctic Soundscapes project, supported by the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) at Durham University.
www.durham.ac.uk/research/ins...
The sympolin was commissioned by John Garner and built and designed by David Bruce Johnson. It is based on the Hardanger fiddle and the viola d’amore. "Whilst it plays like a modern violin, it also has 8 sympathetic strings which give it a ghostly, glassy sound.” (Garner)
Tape recording, editing, and diffusion: Eric Skytterholm Egan
Live audio recording and mixing: Martin Allison
Video recording and editing: Simone Tarsitani
www.durham.ac.uk/musicon
www.durham.ac.uk/departments/...