SUMMARY
- UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Contemporary Nordic Folk Trio Dreamers’ Circus
- Winner of five Danish Music Awards, bring their otherworldly original tunes to the U.S for eight concerts, January 31 to February 9, 2022
- Their music is inspired by and rooted in the traditional folk tunes of Northern Europe is also unmistakably contemporary, defying genre and categorization – a concoction of jazz, classical, traditional Scandinavian music and more
- Dreamers’ Circus celebrated their tenth anniversary in 2020 with “Blue White Gold,” their fourth (and most recent) full-length CD, which won the prestigious Danish 2021 Carl Prize for Composer of the Year (Roots music category)
- This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative
- Tuesday, February 8th / 8:00 p.m. Pacific / Campbell Hall
- $20 – $35: General Public / $10 for UCSB Students (Current student ID required)
- Health & Safety: Proof of full vaccination is required for all attendees. Proof of booster vaccination will be required for all eligible attendees beginning February 4, 2022. Masks are required indoors at all times. N95, KN95, KF94 or FFP2 face masks are strongly recommended. Regardless of the mask type, it is only effective if it is worn over your mouth and nose. Visit https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/SeasonFAQs/ for updates and further details.
- Tickets/Info: (805) 893-3535, www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu
- This event includes an at-home viewing option (live stream only; no replay).
▶ ▶ ▶ Editors/Reviewers: Please include the full name of UCSB Arts & Lectures in all media coverage, including reviews.
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UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Contemporary Nordic Folk Trio Dreamers’ Circus on Tuesday, February 8th at 8:00 p.m. Pacific at Campbell Hall. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.
Featuring Danish String Quartet violinist Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen, Nikolaj Busk on piano and accordion and Ale Carr on cittern, Dreamers’ Circus performs a thrilling blend of contemporary and traditional folk music from Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Finland and the far reaches of the windswept Faroe Islands. Through their adventurous attitude and their outstanding musicianship, what began as a chance meeting of three musicians at a bar in Copenhagen has brought them to the forefront of the Nordic folk and world music scene and earned them five prestigious Danish Music Awards.
ABOUT DREAMERS’ CIRCUS
“This is music that paints images in your mind, that fires the imagination.” Folk Radio (U.K.)
The Nordic trio Dreamers’ Circus, winner of five Danish Music Awards, brings their otherworldly original tunes to the U.S for eight concerts, January 31 to February 9, 2022. The group is Nikolaj Busk on piano and accordion, Ale Carr on Nordic cittern and Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen, who also plays with the Danish String Quartet, on violin. Their music is inspired by and rooted in the traditional folk tunes of Northern Europe is also unmistakably contemporary, defying genre and categorization – a concoction of jazz, classical, traditional Scandinavian music and more. “The watchword here is ‘expansive,” wrote the long-running Rootsworld, “for the trio crafts remarkably open vistas from humble means.” In other words, the three acoustic musicians on stage treat audiences to an unexpectedly lush, rhythmically intense, multilayered sound. The Dreamers’ outstanding musicianship and adventurous approach has made the band a favorite on the Nordic folk and world music scene, taking them on tours through Europe, Japan, Australia and the US.
Dreamers’ Circus celebrated their tenth anniversary in 2020 with “Blue White Gold,” their fourth (and most recent) full-length CD, which won the prestigious Danish 2021 Carl Prize for Composer of the Year (Roots music category). In anticipation of a limited release of “Blue White Gold” on vinyl in 2022, they are releasing several new tunes which epitomizes their approach to music: personal, historical and totally original. Their new single “Befal Du Dine Veje” (pronounced “BehFAHL doo deena VIE”) is a hymn tune that likely originated in Germany in the early 17th century. The title does not translate readily into English, but the gist is, “Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him and he will act.”
The band encountered the tune on an extraordinary trip to the remote Faroe Islands in 2018. They were there for a shoot with Danish TV legend Søren Ryge, known for his many depictions of the natural world and the people who live in remote places. “One day, something happened that wasn’t planned,” recalls Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen. “Twelve men from the village were about to embark on their annual trip across the mountain with a dozen rams; the animals spend the summer on some extremely steep mountain sides (where the grass is especially nutritious) before they are picked up in the fall. We were asked if we wanted to join the adventure and of course the answer was yes! But before we left on what is quite a dangerous trip (we didn’t follow them on the steepest passages), the men gathered close together to observe a centuries-old tradition: singing a hymn. On this occasion, they sang Befal Du Dine Veje and hearing those old voices in the green Faroese mountains made such a tremendous impression on us, it inspired us to do our own version of the melody.”
See A&L’s full 2022 lineup here
This is a moment that calls for Optimism, Resilience, Courage and Vision.
Santa Barbara needs Hope, and Arts & Lectures is uniquely positioned to respond.
A&L’s 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative has already inspired our community with presentations by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, chef José Andrés and author Anne Lamott. We will continue to inspire, through shared experiences with thought leaders, creative problem solvers and arts visionaries who will guide us forward. CREATING HOPE programs strengthen human connection, promote emotional well-being, joy and compassion, and envision positive change. Learn more about the CREATING HOPE: https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/CreatingHope.aspx
ABOUT UCSB ARTS & LECTURES
Founded in 1959, UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) is the largest and most influential arts and lectures organization between Los Angeles and San Francisco. A&L annually presents more than a hundred public events, from critically acclaimed concerts and dance performances by world-renowned artists to talks by groundbreaking authors and film series at UCSB and Santa Barbara-area venues. With a mission to “educate, entertain and inspire,” A&L also oversees an outreach program that brings visiting artists and speakers into local classrooms and other venues for master classes, open rehearsals, discussions and more, serving K-12 students, college students and the general public.
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Dreamers’ Circus is presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures.
This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.
$20 – $35: General Public / $10 for UCSB Students (Current student ID required)
For tickets and more information, call UCSB Arts & Lectures at (805) 893-3535 or visit www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu.
UCSB Arts & Lectures gratefully acknowledges our Community Partners the Natalie Orfalea Foundation & Lou Buglioli for their generous support of the 2021-2022 season.
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