The vocal ensemble Mpiri is a
Faroesechoralensemble based in
Copenhagen. The members are mostly Faroese studying or working in Copenhagen. The conductor is Gorm Larsen.[1]
From the very start, Mpiri has sought out new and inspiring music to perform. In this pursuit, Mpiri has commissioned more than 30 choral works from more than 10 composers. This means that Mpiri through the years has performed much contemporary music. However, this is not the full story of the style of Mpiri. Mpiri has also performed works by
Gesualdo,
Thomas Tallis,
Mozart,
Hassler and many other classical composers. Given the roots of Mpiri, Faroese traditional music has a firm place in the repertoire.
Projects and concerts
A project where a number of non-faroese composers are commissioned to create choral music to contemporary faroese poetry, has been started. Recordings are scheduled to begin in the fall of 2012.
Spring concerts in Jutland.
Past projects and concerts
This is a select list of major projects and concerts
2012
On 15 January, Mpiri [3] sang at the celebration of HM Queen Margrethe 2nd of Denmark's 40th Jubilee as Reign
Christmas Concert[5][6] with Greenlandic Folk singer
Rasmus Lyberth at Graabrødre Klosterkirke, Odense
2010
Mpiri had four concerts and one performance with
Eivør.[7] Two concerts in
Sjónleikarhúsið, a performance at
Saltsiloin, one concert at
G! festival and one concert in
Lille Vega in
Copenhagen in the fall. All concerts were promotional for the CD Larva that Mpiri recorded with Eivør in 2009.
Mpiri recorded a CD with
Knút Olsen choral works, in collaboration with Faroese-based choir
Tarira in the spring. The CD
Mai Mynd was released in the fall.
Mpiri collaborated with the Faroese string quartet
DORIA in three concerts
2009
Mpiri did a tour of the Nordic countries in the fall, performing Barbara[8] with
Saga Dance Art Collective.[9] The tour started late October with two performances in Hafnafjörður, Iceland, followed by two performances in the Faroe Islands (
Løkshøll in Rúnavík and
Nordic House in Tórshavn). The tour ended with a performance in the
black diamond (Royal Library) in Copenhagen, Denmark on the 9 October which is the cultural night in Copenhagen.
Mpiri recorded with the band
Valravn in the spring. Review of the recording is available further down.
In the fall Mpiri went to the studio with
Eivør to help her record 8 songs for her upcoming CD.
2008
Performed at
kulturnatten (cultural night) in the Faroese house in Copenhagen.
Participated at
Expo 2008 the
world's fair hosted in
Zaragoza, Spain where he performed at the Danish Pavilion on the Danish national day - 2 July. The performance of Barbara - a famous novel by the Faroese author Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen, as a modern ballet set to music by Tróndur Bogason was performed with dancers from
Saga Dance Company.
2007
Group photo from the record Upp gleðist released in 2007
Most of 2007 was spent recording 12 commissioned and 3 older Christmas songs to make up the CD Upp Gleðist. The CD was released in late November to early December with a small tour to
Thorshavn with concerts in
The Nordic House and around the city.
Participate in North Atlantic Choir Festival in Copenhagen.
2000
In the spring Mpiri performed a concert called fisk (fish) in
Huset i Rådhusstræde in Copenhagen. Mpiri collaborated with the Faroese designers PAU to make new outfits for Mpiri, and a Faroese lighting artist to make the settings right. Fisk was a big success.
After participating in North Atlantic Choir Festival in
Aalborg,
Sunleif Rasmussen took over conducting Mpiri.
The first ever concert was in the communal house, Galgebakken, Albertslund.
The first year Mpiri had no real projects apart from participating in the North Atlantic Choir Festival in
Odense. At the festival, Mpiri made its first 'first performance' with 'Stórhvalagildi' by Tróndur Bogason
Valravn commissioned Mpiri to participate in one song on their CD "Koder på snor". GAFFA gives it 5 of 6 possible stars mentioning that "Mpiri spreads gold over the grand finale".
description of tour of Finland 2004 - Finnish article (in Swedish) about Mpiri on tour in Finland, performing at Pohjola - Norden 80 year anniversary in Turku/Åbo