Reviewed by Paul Poulton

Fine, fine album, and considering the age of the songs chosen, it could have been 'poor, poor album'. Regin Guttensen's very nice piano phrasing injects new life into these tried and tested hymns and lifts this recording to a level seldom reached by two or three instruments. The featured instrument is bassoon, played by the very accomplished Jogvan Zachariassen, his execution is superb. Jakup Zachariassen plays guitar and manages to blend in so neatly it's the audio equivalent of the oil poured on Aaron's head. The occasional cello and oboe crop up adding a new hue to the sublime soundscape. The merest hint of jazz adds to the evocative nature of the performance. It's hard to find fault with this recording nor do I want to, save for two things: the piano could have been recorded with a little more sharpness, but that could be my fault for listening to electric pianos all the time, maybe I've just forgotten what a grand sounds like. Secondly, the bassoon's phrasing on the (very) odd occasion falls to the temptation of cliche. The overall feel of this album is delicious space. It's water in the desert.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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