Nordic Voices
New Town Church, Edinburgh, Fringe Venue 111, 20/08/2026
Tone Elisabeth Braaten (soprano), Ingrid Hanken (soprano,) Ebba Rydh (mezzo-soprano), Per Kristian Amundrød (tenor), Frank Havrøy (baritone), Rolf Magne Asser (bass).
The word-renowned Norwegian a cappella sextet, Nordic Voices, returned to Edinburgh after an absence of 31 years, to celebrate the 740th anniversary of the accession of the Maid of Norway to the throne of Scotland, as Margaret, Queen of Scots (1286-90).
Comprising graduates from the Norwegian Academy of Music and the Norwegian Academy of Opera, the ensemble are celebrated for exploring a wide spectrum of vocal expression – from plainchant and sacred texts through to contemporary commissions.
Originally given their name by Scottish arts promoter, producer Ian McFarlane, the group found an ideal acoustic home in Edinburgh’s New Town Church, Scotland’s only elliptical and conical church building. Its unique architecture offered a resonant canvas for the group's extraordinary balance, wide dynamic range, and rich harmonic depth.
Though the printed programme indicated a formal interval, the ensemble opted for uninterrupted momentum, stepping off stage only briefly between sections to let the atmosphere linger. The performance moved seamlessly across centuries, opening with sacred medieval works that established a serene, transcendent tone.
Early highlights included the 12th-century Norwegian opening, Alleluia Sancte Ollave, and the poignant wedding hymn Ex te lux oritur, written for Princess Margaret of Scotland and King Eric II of Norway in 1281. The acoustics proved particularly captivating during Nobilis humilis, a 13th-century hymn to St Magnus from the Orkneys, which showcased the pure, luminous textures of early Nordic polyphony.
Transitioning into the Renaissance era, the sextet highlighted dynamic cross-cultural ties with 16th-century works by Scottish composer and priest David Peebles (Si quis diligit me) and Robert Johnson (Gaude Maria Virgo and Deus misereatur nostri). Interspersed were pieces by Casper Ecchienus and Johann Nesenus. This middle section demonstrated the ensemble’s impeccable pitch precision and intricate phrasing, maintaining clarity across every woven vocal line.
The performance culminated in modern territory with Lasse Thoresen’s Solbøn (‘Sunrise’) Op 42. Continuing the overarching themes of light, union, and harmony, this contemporary work emerged as perhaps the afternoon's crowning achievement.
Intricate and densely layered, Thoresen's composition unfolded with striking theatricality, tracing a dramatic arc from the delicate glimmers of sunrise to the sombre, peaceful hues of sunset. Microtonal inflections, vocal shifts, and shimmering overtone singing filled the church, exploiting every contour of the building's design.
In this highly memorable recital, Nordic Voices created a single, unbroken journey through eight centuries of musical heritage. It was a triumphant, deeply moving return to Edinburgh, proving that three decades was too long to wait for a vocal ensemble of such marked sophistication.
McFarlane Productions provided the capital with this rare musical treat, following the earlier, notable appearances at the same venue of South Korean tenor Sungho Kim and Norwegian mezzo-soprano Marianne Beate Kielland.
In the final concert in this series at the New Town Church, Ukrainian baritone Andrii Kymach and distinguished Welsh classical pianist Jâms Coleman will perform works by composer Valentin Silvestrov on Ukraine’s official independence day, 24th August.
