Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Moravian music in 17th century Iceland

The Passion-Hymns are Icelandic poet Hallgrimur Petursson's 1657 masterpiece, the Easter Saga told in song. He set his work to stately Moravian hymn-tunes. Hallgrimur combined the Moravian singing-service tradition with the Icelandic Saga rimer tradition to create The Passion-Hymns.

Librettist and author Dall Wilson first adapted The Passion-Hymns to English in 2004, when the work premiered at First Moravian Church in Manhattan. Wilson is developing a documentary about the influence of Moravian music in Hallgrimur’s day.

The Passion-Hymns is available for purchase at http://stores.lulu.com/dallwilson for $29.95 plus shipping. The site includes a sample of the book. A link to video of the music performed by various groups can be found at http://www.youtube.com/dallwilson or click directly here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGMSzPkP5iU