In collaboration with pianist and arranger Andreas Ulvo, as well as a dream team of jazz musicians, Eli has created a timeless expression where folk singing tradition meets the instrumental soundscape of today. In good interaction with Mats Eilertsen (double bass), Helge Norbakken (percussion), Harpreet Bansal (fiddle), Mathias Eick (trumpet), and not least arrangements written by Andreas Ulvo (piano), the traditional hymns have been added beautiful and evocative harmonies!
«Tidløse toner» mainly contains religious folk meldoies from Østerdalen (a valley in eastern Norway, where Eli grew up) based on three female sources; Mari Holmen, Hanna Moren and Marit Storbekken. Religious folk tunes were an important part of people´s lives in earlier times, but today many of these melodies are about to disappear. Eli learned most of these melodies when she was young, from her father, Egil Storbekken (1911-2002). He was concidered a central communicator of Norwegian folk music traditions.
Most of the lyrics were written by the great Danish hymn poets Thomas Kingo (1634-1703) and Hans Adolph Brorson (1694-1764). Musicologist Ole Mørk Sandvik (1875-1976) traveled in several valleys at the beginning of the 20th century, collecting hymns. He published «Østerdalsmusikken» (Music from Østerdalen) (1943), which is an important book for those who are interested in folk music from this district. In this book he wrote that «the religious folk tunes are some of the most intimate in Norwegian folk music».
Eli Storbekken is one of Norway´s most established and experienced folk singers, born in Østerdalen. There she discovered her interest in folk music through her parents (Edith and Egil Storbekken), to whom this release is dedicated. She has a long and varied career in vocal folk music and has collaborated with musicians in many different genres. In 2009 she won The Folk Larm Award Show in the category «Group» for the release MAROS, as well as a Norwegian Grammy Awards-nomination for the album Fabel in 2016. She has also received awards such as the Norwegian folk music awards (2014) Rolf Gammlengprisen (2011) Tolgaprisen (2011).
