Icelandic Chants

By ⋅ March 29, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment
Play
Download

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Download MP3
Iceland is still trying to pick itself back up after its banking system collapsed two years ago. Perhaps that’s one reason why ancient Icelandic chanting is gaining in popularity. The chants are all about hardship and toughing it out in the cold North Atlantic, something Icelanders have been doing for hundreds of years. The World’s Gerry Hadden recently met with some chanters and gives us this listen.

Gerry also sent us this short video below:

Discussion

7 comments for “Icelandic Chants”

  • http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~libssd/ Selden Deemer

    About once a year, I hear completely new to me on PRI’s “The World.” Last year, it was Jon Balke’s Siwan Project; this year it’s traditional Icelandic chanting. Keep up the good work. Listening to this provided a great break from doing my taxes.

  • Philip DesAutels

    Wonderful – the music is haunting! Is it possible for you to post a link to where this music can be bought?

  • Josh

    Sigur Ros did a more traditional album with Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson (Angels Of The Universe) and another with Steindor Andersen (Rimur). Some of the stuff appeared on their DVD Heima. Very cool.

  • Renée Guillory

    I found a lot of this chant music in Iceland. there’s a record store called Smekkleysa (close observers of Icelandic music will recognize that this is the label and store founded by members of The Sugarcubes) :) SO AMAZING!!!!!!!!!

  • Mar

    It probably doesn’t hurt that Sigur Ros is so big right now too.

  • Gerry Hadden

    Hi Philip. You know, I don’t know if there is a place to buy the music. I will ask the chanters. Stay tuned…Best,
    gkh