Music for changing seasons: Helene Blum

Unsettled weather often comes with this time at the edge of seasons. For music to go along with these times, one of my choices is the album Liden Sol, from Helene Blum.

It at first seems rather a winter facing selection of songs, with titles which translate (Blum sings in Danish) as Frozen to the Bone and It is white outside. Do not let that deter you from listening. however. Blum has woven a quietly gorgeous tapestry which includes strands of Danish traditional folk song with contemporary work and her own writing. The title track, for example, in a contemplative and sparely arranged song in which Blum sets a nineteenth century Christmas season text to a tune of her own devising.

Blum is well qualified to do that sort of thing: she is the first singer to graduate from the folk program at the Carl Nielsen Academy of Music in Denmark, and from an early age she has been an accomplished guitarist and fiddle player as well. Her debut album in 2005 won a top award in Denmark, and her Christmas concert tours are well received throughout Europe. Among her festival appearances are Celtic Colours on Cape Breton and Celtic Connections in Glasgow.

At the heart of it all, though, lies her thoughtful song choice and her inviting voice. Whether you understand the Danish language or not, Liden Sol makes fine listening wherever the seasons may find you at present.


Blum has another winter focus album out now Julrosen Christrose

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Music Road: from Denmark: Helene Blum
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From Denmark: Helene Blum

Helene Blum sings in an expressive soprano, taking ideas and melodies of her native land into contemporary song and shedding light on music from Danish tradition. Her solo album En Gang og Altid is a fine showcase for both these things, whether or not you speak Danish. She has an excellent Christmas album out as well.

So what is Danish folk music? As Denmark is both harbour and crossroads, geographically, so it is musically. Germany, Sweden, Finland, Norway, France, and the Celtic lands all come in as influencers, and in many ways Danish folk music stirs all that into its own sound, a sound Blum has been exploring since childhood, when she first took up the violin. Singing called to her as time passed, though, and she became the first vocalist to receive a diploma from the folk music program at Denmark’s renown Carl Nielsen Academy. She tours and teaches internationally, and has appeared at the Celtic Colours Festival on Cape Breton and Celtic Connections in Glasgow, among other places.

En Gang og Altid (the title translates to English as Once and Forever) is a lovely musical journey -- and there’s an Irish twist to it as well, with Armagh native Brian Finnegan sitting in on flutes for the opening song, Vil som du jeg, and several other tracks as well. Harald Haugaard, who co wrote a number of the tunes, supports on fiddle and other instruments, and with Blum co produced the tasteful arrangements of fiddle, cello, flute, guitar and occasional horns which back her voice.




Are you following the World Cup? Denmark has a team in the running. No football commentary forthcoming here along the music road, but as soccer fever rages over the next weeks, from time to time music and musicians from countries with teams at the World Cup matches in South Africa will come in for comment to add to your enjoyment of the sport.


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Music Road: Three Fiddle CDs for Fall

Music Road: photographing music: Celtic Colours.

Music Road: Patty Larkin: 25

-->Your support for Music Road is welcome and needed. If you are able to chip in, here is a way to do that, through PayPal. Note that you do not have to have a PayPal account to do this. Thank you.