Mitt Navn er Petter Dass – Kari Bremnes

The vicar of Alstahaug

On «Mit Nav er Petter Dass», brother and sister Kari and Ola Bremnes gets together to perform folksongs and poems by the thelogian and poet Petter Dass. Dass, who throughout most of his life lived in Norland, was the vicar of Alstahaug, and is most famous for his psalm «Herre Gud! Dit Dyre Navn og Ære» and the early topographical work «Nordlands Trompet». On this album Kari and Ola Bremnes performs a range of other texts like «Visen om Harald og hans sønner», one of the many stories found in «Den Nordiske Dalevise», the only text printed in Dass´ own lifetime, the autobiographical «Petter Dass´ klagesang» and «Petters Jekteforlis» about one of his sailing ships that shipwrecked with goods and gold – a terrible loss for the skipper of Alstahaug.

Ola Bremnes has worked extensively with Petter Dass´ work throughout his career, amongst other in the staging of «Vær hilset!» (1995) which has been performed on several festivals. He received the Spellemann Award for the year 2000 together with Kari and brother Lars Bremnes in the class of folksongs and folkrock for the album «Soløye». Kari Bremnes has throughout a long and extensive career established herself as one of the most important Norwegian folksingers and -musicians, and has released several albums both by herself and in collaboration with artists like Lars Klevestrand, Ole Paus and Mari Boine, won several awards and has laid extensive touring behind her throughout Norway and Europe.