Newsletter - pile house records

Newsletter June 2009
Danish singer Helene Blum &
fiddler Harald Haugaard
New releases
The spring 2009 has offered the two first releases from the new established
independent Danish record label Pile House Records. The first album was singer
Helene Blum’s ”En gang og altid” (Eng: Once and Forever) which was released in
January. ”En gang og altid” (PHR0209) was very well recieve by the international and
Danish press:
Daily news paper Fyens Stiftstidende
(* * * * * * start out of 6!!):
“Helene Blum has her first masterpiece
in the bag. What a voice ...
get that CD and do it soon”
Swedish music magazine Lira:
“Helene Blum has a crystal clear,
expressive, most personal and extremely
beautiful voice … In it’s soft played down
character the music gets visionary. It doesn’t stall in a certain shape but follow the
as well as in expressive suspense towards it”
Also one song from the album ”Når jeg lukker øjnene” written by Christine Milton
and Christian Juncker was playlisted on the National Danish Radio P4.
Fiddler Harald Haugaard followed suit in April with his first solo album ”Burning
Fields” that as well got the positive attention from the international and Danish
press:
Danish music magazine Gaffa:
“Haugaard is the fiddler above everybody else at the
national scene and Danish folk music’s great exposure
and come back during the last ten years is not at least
due to Haugaard. Still he havn’t got time to release a
solo album. Before now, where he dashes in and places
himself in that throne that was ready for him.”
Det toneangivende britiske magasin for verdensmusik
fRoots:
”Haugaard is a brilliant fiddler, one of the very best in the
world”
Both albums have been selling well and has been played on a large number of
European and North American radio stations this spring. Both artists have also been
portrayed in various magazines such as Danish woman magazine Femina, Swedish
music magazine Lira and daily news Fyns Amts Avis.
Live concerts – ”WORLD CLASS”
This spring contained a large number of live concerts with the two artists both
together and in their individual names
Harald Haugaard began his touring at the great Wiener Konzerthaus with a
memorable great concert that included guitarist Rasmus Zeeberg, cellist Kirstine
Elise Pedersen and singer Julie Maria in the beginning of March. Later on Haugaard
continued touring in Germany and Great Britan mostly with the Harald
Haugaard Trio including Rasmus Zeeberg again and percussionist Sune Rahbek.
This formation has worked out beatulifully with it’s fresh blend of traditional Danish
dance tunes and Haugaard’s new compositions performed with a lot of energy.
Helene Blum began the spring at ”Den Fynske Opera” in Odense where she
appeared with huge succes in the contemporary composer Rasmus Zwicki’s new
opera ”KONSUMIA”.
After a small tour in Germany with her own quartet Blum and Haugaard joined each
other in their seven piece Helene Blum & Harald Haugaard Band at the
German folkBALTICA festival and later on at the international festival for rock music
SPOT in Århus, Denmark with a number of great performances. German news
paper Kieler Nachrichten called the band ”WELTKLASSE” (Eng: ”World Class”)
in their review of the band’s first concert at the Landeskulturzentrum in Salzau.
This band will tour in Europe in the summer 2010 and the line up is:
Helene Blum (vocal, fiddle, guitar),
Harald Haugaard (fiddle, mandolin),
Krister Jonsson from Sweden (guitars),
Rasmus Zeeberg (guitar & mandolin)
Kirstine Elise Pedersen (cello)
Tapani Varis from Finland (jews harp & bass)
Sune Rahbek (percussion)
After some 50 performances for both artists Blum and Haugaard’s concert series
this Spring ended up with the midsummer concert at Steensgaard Castle on
Sourthern Funen on the Danish Midsommer evening Skt. Hans Aften the
23rd of June. It was the second time this event was held and Blum and Haugaard had
this time invited Nordic guests including fiddler Ragnhild Furebotten to perform the
at the show. The number of audience doubled from the first year and a beautiful
Danish summer night ended off the concert season for Helene Blum and Harald
Haugaard.
Autum 2009
Harald Haugaard is hosting his first international fiddle school in Wuppertal,
Germany 27th of July – 2nd of August. A great line up of tutors including American
fiddler Hanneke Cassel and Danes Ditte Fromseier and Kirstine Sand has been
invited to teach during the week that offers intesive musical work as well as social
intercourse. There are still free seats?? in the week.
August offers another tour for Helene Blum as guest with the early music ensemble
Via Artis, September and October brings both artists on tour in Germany and
Denmark and both artists will also appear at the big world music event Womex
that is beeing held in Copenhagen for the first time in the end of October.
Harald Haugaard will tour in Germany with his trio in November and December
adds a premiere of the Christmas concert ”JULETID” (Eng: Christmas time),
Helene Blum and Harald Haugaard with Nordic Guests. The two artists
have asked four great Nordic musicians including Swedish flute player Jonas
Simonsson (Groupa) to join this concert that will be performed both in Denmark
and Germany.
Touring schedules to be published beginning of August.
More info:
www.heleneblum.dk
www.haraldhaugaard.dk
www.pilehouserecords.com
www.haugaardsfiddleschool.com