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Being and Belonging

Episode 2 of 3

Day two of Horatio Clare's immersive Sound Walk on Greenland's Arctic Circle Trail. Bringing to life sublime landscapes whilst exploring the development of Greenland's identity.

Fording frozen streams, skirting lakes and fjords, and crossing a landscape scarred by fires that swept the area during the summer of 2019, Horatio Clare spends a second day trekking Greenland’s Arctic Circle Trail in this immersive Slow Radio sound walk. Awaiting the arctic sunrise whilst breakfasting, he sets out from his overnight hut and hikes across the frozen bogs of the west coast under a silvery arctic light, accompanied by three runaway huskies.

Silent valleys, mackerel skies, screaming winds, the northern lights and sublime mountain scapes are brought to life by Horatio's commentary and specialist location sounds recordings as they capture the beating of raven’s wings, the cracking of ice, the sound of seabirds over remote coasts and the lapping of lake water on a Greenlandic beach of gold and white sand.

Focusing on the Greenlandic story up to the recent past and considering the establishment of Inuit and Norse communities across the generations, we hear about the rich culture early 20th century explorers discovered when they arrived at the world’s largest island. There’s the juxtaposition of Christian and Shamanic traditions as well as the expression of Inuit identity through music and dance with specially recorded Drum Dance performances.

As well as live performances by Fali Kleist, Nuka Alice Lund and Jose Joelsen, music in the programme includes works by John Luther Adams, Olafur Arnalds, Edmund Finnis and Jean Sibelius. There are also Max Richter’s arrangements of Vivaldi, music by the group Nordic Affect, and the ice music of Terje Isungset.

1 hour, 15 minutes

Last on

Thu 28 Dec 2023 17:00

Music Played

  • John Luther Adams

    Canticles of the Sky - IV. Sky with Endless Stars

    Ensemble: JACK Quartet.
  • John Luther Adams

    Canticles of the Sky - I. Sky with Four Suns

    Ensemble: JACK Quartet.
  • Max Richter

    Vivaldi Recomposed - Winter 2

    Performer: Daniel Hope. Orchestra: Konzerthaus Kammerorchester Berlin. Conductor: André de Ridder.
  • Ólafur Arnalds

    Brot

    Performer: Ólafur Arnalds. Orchestra: London Recording Orchestra.
  • María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir

    Spirals

    Ensemble: Nordic Affect.
  • Terje Isungset

    Silent Blue

    Performer: Terje Isungset. Performer: Per Jørgensen.
  • John Luther Adams

    In the White Silence - Letter H

    Ensemble: Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble. Conductor: Tim Weiss.
  • Biosphere

    Lysbotn

    Performer: Biosphere.
  • Edmund Finnis

    The Air, Turning

    Orchestra: Â鶹ԼÅÄ Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Ilan Volkov.
  • Jean Sibelius

    Symphony No.7

    Orchestra: Lahti Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Osmo Vänskä.
  • John Luther Adams

    In the White Silence - Letter K

    Ensemble: Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble. Conductor: Tim Weiss.
  • John Luther Adams

    In the White Silence - Letter L

    Ensemble: Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble. Conductor: Tim Weiss.
  • John Luther Adams

    Canticles of the Sky - III. Sky with Nameless Colors

    Ensemble: JACK Quartet.

Broadcasts

  • Christmas Day 2019 16:00
  • Thu 28 Dec 2023 17:00

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