Jakob Kullberg performing 'Country' by Niels Rønsholdt (Photo: SPOR Festival)
What dreams are made of
Niels Rønsholdt's Country was premiered on the opening night of SPOR festival, and truly moved the audience and critics.
The critic from the Danish newspaper Aarhus Stiftstidende called it "such stuff as dreams are made of", and claimed that "Art, no matter the genre - country, classical or opera - asks the big questions and involves us. That is exactly what Niels Rønsholdt's 'Country' does."
The critic from the online art journal Kunsten.nu wrote: "As in Rønsholdt's other works the composition is filled with pathos and at the same time something more kitsch and fragile. It alternates between ease and anger, longing and despair, hope and sorrow. [...] As the concert ends tears roll down the cheeks."
Almost silent Interludium
Jeppe Ernst's Interludium was premiered by the ensemble SCENATET and Kunsten.nu writes:
"During the 30 minutes long performance, the 6 musicians move by each their own route from the far end of the great hall and all the way towards the audience. Along the way, a tight, almost mechanical choreography creates small individual musical figures that weave into each other in a rhythmical composition."
The performance is almost completely silent, and the critic underlines the fact that Jeppe Ernst often works with the dogma of removing the element of sound from his compositions. Instead, his compositions speak to other senses and bring the social space between work and audience into play.
Read the full review in Kunsten.nu (Danish).
Andreas Borregaard (Photo: SPOR festival)
Accordion solo x 2
The accordionist Andreas Borregaard performed Asthma by Simon Steen-Andersen and premiered James Black's Piece About Everything, and the performance was praised in Aarhus Stiftstidende:
"Both pieces [...] employ suggestive images showing trivial repetitions, grotesque combinations of various manifestations of life and - in particular in the case of Simon Steen-Andersen - a sense of humour. [...] The music was beautiful and surprising. Not only the incredibly varied sounds brought about by the soloist and his instrument, but also the incredible timing with the images."
SPOR festival 2020 took place 4-5 September and 11-13 September. Read more about some of the works performed here.