Together with his close partner Ivar Anton Waagaard on the piano, Sigmund Groven presents an intimate album where the harmonica and piano play the leading roles.
Well-written arrangements
Groven has collected folk songs from Ireland and England, including
"One May Morning" and "Strawberry Fair", dressed in well-written arrangements for harmonica and piano by Leonard Morris. The repertoire also includes original compositions of highest quality! Among others are "The Witch’s Daughter" and "Broomy Hill" by James Moody who also arranged Mozart’s famous Sonata.
Grieg has been essential in the choice of repertoire: Classical Harmonica presents Grieg’s charming rococo pastiche " Bestemors menuett” (Grandmother’s Minuet), and a few of his folk music arrangements. Folk music is again present with Bartók’s Rumanian folk dances and Hovhaness’ Greek folk dances. Groven has also chosen Debussy’s famous "Clair de Lune", played by Groven and Waagaard with character and respect.
Compositions
In addition, the album features two tracks composed by Groven’s "mentor" Tommy Reilly, before the concluding track "Cavatina", a beautiful song by Stanley Myers, well- known as a guitar solo for John Williams, and as the theme of the movie Deer Hunter. Some tracks are also composed by Groven himself ; the completely new song "Håp” ("Hope") and "Det var ein gong" ("Once upon a time"), previously recorded both as a song and with a large orchestra – here is finally the original version for piano and harmonica!
Producers are Groven himself and Arild Erikstad. The album was recorded in the legendary Rainbow Studio with Jan Erik Kongshaug at the control desk.
