Talented Danish duo perform at Lyth

LYTH Arts Centre is hosting two Scandinavian musicians dubbed as "musical storytellers" this Saturday.

Danish duo Andreas Tophøj and Rune Barslund perform with violin, accordion and viola.

The accomplished duo has its roots in Jutland, Denmark, and emerged from the folk scene formed around the Academy of Music in Odense.

Speaking to the paper, Andreas said audiences can expect "a good stew of Scandinavian and Celtic music" with especially Danish and Irish inspirations on the menu.

"Most of it will be original music but we bring some traditional tunes along with us as well," he added.

"The majority will be instrumental music but a couple of songs will be in the set as well.

"The audience can expect an evening of entertaining, acoustic music and good stories sometimes turning into lies because why tell the boring truth when you can tell a good lie?"

The story behind their own journeys to becoming one of Denmark’s leading trad music units, with honours including Track of the Year at the Danish Folk Awards 2012 for their The Danish Immigrant EP and Andreas’s nomination for Artist of the Year title at the same awards in 2015, reveals quite different engagements with the music.

"Since then our full debut album has been long in the making and is released when we come over for the tour in the UK, bringing us to Lyth on our second concert of the tour," said Andreas.

"The album reflects on the many meetings and musical fellowships that have been picked up along the long line of travels and playing music together as a duo and with other old and current groups. This has been a long and hard birth but now it is here"

While Rune grew up with Danish traditional music from early childhood and took up the accordion at the age of six, Andreas didn’t become aware of folk music until his mid-teens.

“I think the main reason I was attracted to the music was the social aspect,” he said.

It was when Andreas was living in Odense that he and Rune first met.

Soon afterwards, Rune left to study Irish music for a year in Limerick. He only attended the first semester, after which he stayed on because he loved the music and spent the rest of the time in a freezing cold house and playing sessions in local pubs.

At the same time Andreas was across the Atlantic, playing old-time American music and bluegrass in Boston. Then a further period of first-hand study took Rune to Finland, adding another influence to the music he and Andreas make.

“Our travels have definitely had an impact on the way we play,” said Rune.

“It can be a challenge playing in a duo because you’re really quite exposed, compared to say in a trio or quartet, but it’s also easier to improvise, be spontaneous. It certainly keeps us on our toes.”

Andreas added that the Lyth appearance will be their first show in the far north of Scotland.

"This is something we are particular proud of, as we a really keen on getting to Scotland to play much, much more, and it has been a goal for several years now, slowly starting to happen."

See the performance this Saturday (March 7) at 8pm in Lyth Arts Centre.

Tickets and further information can be found at: lytharts.org.uk/event/andreas-tophoj-and-rune-barslund/

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