Exploring cultures and communities – the slow way

hidden europe 31

by hidden europe

The brass band is alive and well in the Faroe Islands and is just one aspect of the varied musical life of the remote North Atlantic archipelago. hidden europe presents a pot pourri of musical notes from the Faroes.

article summary —

On a visit to the Faroese capital a few years ago, the haar drifted in off the sea, as it so often does, and within an hour or two Tórshavn harbour was shrouded in thick fog. Slowly, the town seemed to settle into an eerie quiet, broken after a while by the distant but unmistakable sound of a brass band.

The Faroese brass band tradition is just one aspect of the islands’ surprisingly diverse musical life. Visitors interested in music go to the islands looking for folksy fiddlers and austere renderings of the psalms — the latter deeply influence by the work of Thomas Kingo, a Danish baroque hymnographer whose Psalmebog is still staple fare in many Faroese churches.


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About the authors

hidden europe

and manage hidden europe, a Berlin-based editorial bureau that supplies text and images to media across Europe. Together they edit hidden europe magazine. Nicky and Susanne are dedicated slow travellers. They delight in discovering the exotic in the everyday.

This article was published in hidden europe 31.