About the work Hiking

We walk and walk. Towards each other or away from each other. We have always walked, to find food and new land, in flight or search, decades of desert wandering or a heavy doorstep mile. We are donkeys with open eyes for everything along the way, or campaigns with one goal in mind. In the 19th century, a man wandered around Norway and collected languages. Thousands of years ago, a human took the first step on what is today called Norwegian soil. We take a step towards another human being to give a caress, millions are on the run, and above us all flies the peregrine falcon.

In this way, Sigmund Løvåsen composes words based on what he has researched in his texts, and with this foundation, musicians Erlend Apneseth and Frode Haltli have found many musical points of intersection. Music is a boundless language, and even though the instrumentation is Hardanger fiddle and accordion, one can hear musical inspiration from both East and West in this work. And when Apneseth strums two fiddles at the same time, thoughts may go to a West African kora, perhaps to an Irish harp. The associations can be many, and open to many interpretations. Tradition and innovation have gone hand in hand throughout the work of both musicians over several years. In the interaction with text, the music sometimes takes on a reflective and listening role. In other places, the music can break loose in wildness and completely drown out the poet.

Poets in collaboration

 Lyrikken og musikken blir skapt i samspel, og vi ventar ei heilt unik oppleving på Fana folkehøgskule.  

Sigmund Løvåsen is from Trysil. Since his debut novel Nyryddinga in 2003, he has published a number of novels, plays and poetry collections. Løvåsen was also the leader of the Norwegian Writers' Association from 2012 to 2017. 

Erlend Apneseth and Frode Haltli are both experienced and award-winning musicians and composers at the intersection of folk and contemporary music. They have collaborated on the album Salika Molika (2019), which received the Spellemannprisen in the Open Class category.