Tagal is the vocal group Kvedarkvintetten´s third album, featuring music composed by Jorun Marie Rypdal Kvernberg. Tagal can be translated as “to keep silent,” “to be mute,” or “wordless,” and the work challenges the boundaries of vocal music by making text elements almost entirely absent. The piece was premiered at the Førde Festival in 2021 and is now finally being released on CD and digital platforms.
Jorun Marie Rypdal Kvernberg shares:
“My fascination with folk singers singing in unison has followed me since I was a young student. I listened to the albums of vocal groups like Tiriltunga and Dvergmål on repeat: how could the voices blend so closely without creating harsh dissonances? How could these highly personal voices merge so seamlessly? It was both mysterious and obvious at the same time. I have always longed to create something in this landscape. That was the starting point for Tagal.
When I learned that Kvedarkvintetten was open to performing music composed by me, I gladly embarked on this journey. The foundation was my inspiration from the folk music unison singing I had heard before, but I also wanted to take Kvedarkvintetten into other, perhaps new, landscapes.
The theme of wordless singing and the title Tagal emerged during conversations. As a fiddler, I’ve always envied singers for having lyrics to lean on—stories that give the music extra meaning, action, and momentum, and a clear way to engage the audience. But these singers dreamt of the opposite: to also be performers of music entirely without text, where the lyrics would not dictate all choices. As exceptional instrumentalists and dancers in addition to being singers, Kvedarkvintetten had a unique foundation for achieving precisely this.”
“In 2020, Jorun Marie Rypdal Kvernberg contacted us to ask if we were interested in a piece composed for us as a quintet—something we, of course, found very exciting,” shares Kvedarkvintetten, adding:
“Until this collaboration, our repertoire had always been rooted in the singing tradition of Hallingdal, consisting almost exclusively of traditional material that we arranged in our own style. Working with material specially composed for Kvedarkvintetten was both challenging and inspiring. Jorun Marie provided the work in the form of sheet music and recordings. We read, listened, and shaped it into our expression with vocal syllables, rhythms, phrasing, and style.
The premiere took place at the Førde Festival in 2021, followed by several concerts in the following year. Later, the desire grew to immortalize the work, and now, the album is finally here—nearly four years later.
When we recorded Tagal, we wanted to further develop the piece, making it more our own and adding new elements. Martin Langlie joined the project, bringing original ideas and extensive experience. Working with him was inspiring and enriching for us as a group. The result is this version of Tagal. Enjoy listening!”
