Sinikka Langeland – Lille Rosa – Sinikka Langeland

Ballads of love

The 12 medieval ballads from Østlandet, the southeastern part of Norway, that have been arranged here by Sinikka Langeland are almost always dramatic love stories with tragic endings. Love can sometimes be stronger than death, as demonstrated in the ballad of "Little Rosa". Østlandet has recently been rediscovered as a source of medieval ballads. The research done by L. M. Lindeman and O. M. Sanvik shows that ballads were sung here, as well as in other parts of Norway. Sinikka Langeland has brought this historical material to life, and has created uniquely personal versions of the stories that have wandered throughout Europe since the Middle Ages.

Sinikka’s vocal preformance is based on the traditional kveder style. She has arranged the songs for the Finno-Ugric instrument kantele. The chromatic kantele she plays here has 39 strings, and was built in Finland by Hannu Koistinen.