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Su冒uroy: The weather will decide

Sound Walk Faroe Islands Sound Walk
Episode 3 of 3

The final leg of Horatio Clare's journey through the Faroe Islands takes him to its southernmost island, a place suffused with poetry and legend.

For the final leg of his journey through the Faroe Islands, Horatio Clare takes a ferry, from the capital T贸rshavn in the centre of the archipelago, to the southernmost island of Su冒uroy (literally 鈥淪outh Island鈥�). The aim is to walk to its southernmost tip, but it鈥檚 here that he encounters one of the Faroes鈥� best known natural phenomena: fog.

Situated where the warm waters of the Gulf Stream meet the cold waters coming down from the Arctic, the Faroe Islands鈥� changeable weather conditions play a central role in daily life, with the locals affectionately calling their homeland the 鈥渓and of maybe鈥�. The experience of getting lost in the outfields is not uncommon, and the Faroese expression 鈥渄etta oman鈥� (鈥渇all down鈥�) refers specifically to the sudden onset of fog causing falls from cliffs or mountain sides.

Horatio鈥檚 path through the mist is therefore led by Oli, an experienced local guide, and a keen advocate for traditional Faroese food, which includes wind-dried cod and mutton.

Descending from Beinisv酶r冒, Su冒uroy鈥檚 highest cliff at 469m above sea level, the route follows a village path down through the lush green grazing pastures of an island suffused with legend, poetry and music. Horatio considers the sometimes violent history of the area, from the power battles between old and new ways at the turn of the first millennia as described in the Faroese Saga, to the pirate attacks of the 17th Century. Horatio also reflects on the strange experience of walking in dense fog, with its muted sounds and shifting perspectives, and this brings to mind Sylvia Plath鈥檚 poignant reflection on anxiety and depression in her poem Sheep In Fog.

He reaches sea level and a brief respite from the mountain mist at the old village of Sumba, known for its strong tradition of Faroese chain dancing, which remains a core activity of the local community and was a source of fascination for the Victorian travel writer Elizabeth Taylor. Sumba was also the birthplace of Poul F Joensen (1898-1970), one of Faroe Island鈥檚 best-loved poets whose words live on in the recordings of the singer Hanus Johansen.

With the ethereal effects of diffused light from the sun behind the lingering fog, Horatio takes a long single track road to Akraberg and eventually finds the Faroes鈥� southernmost lighthouse.

This final walk in the series features more specially recorded music from the violinist Angelika Hansen and pianist-composer Kristian Blak, tracks by other Faroese musicians including the ensemble Aldub谩ran, and music from some of the countries with close historical connections to the Faroe Islands.

The series is produced by Andy King, with sound recording by Andy Fell.

59 minutes

Last on

Tue 27 Dec 2022 16:00
麻豆约拍 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Raske Drenge

    Sigmundskvaedid Yngra (Sigmundur's Poem - Young)

    Performer: Raske Drenge.
    • Raske Drenge.
    • TUTL.
    • 8.

  • Frans Bak

    The Mist, Part II

    Performer: Mari Samuelsen. Performer: H氓kon Samuelsen. Ensemble: TrondheimSolistene.
    • Nordic Noir.
    • Mercury KX.

  • Trad.

    Byssan Lull (The Galley)

    Ensemble: Juniorsolistene.
    • Nordic Folk Songs.
    • 脴ra Fonogram.

  • Rued Langgaard

    Symphony No. 15 'S酶stormen' (The Sea Storm): Mvt III

    Orchestra: Danish National Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Thomas Dausgaard.
    • Langgaard - Symphonies Nos. 15 and 16.
    • DACAPO.

  • Liom

    Morning Mist

    Performer: Liom.
    • Oslo.

  • Gabriel Jackson

    The Coral Sea, 2nd movement: Voyage

    Performer: Ingrid Sawers.
    • Oslo.
    • DELPHIAN.

  • Rasmus Rasmussen

    Melancholy

    Performer: Rasmus Rasmussen.
    • Poems In Sound.

  • Snorri Sigf煤s Birgisson

    Where Life and Death May Dwell

    Performer: V铆kingur 脫lafsson.
    • From Afar.
    • Deutsche Grammaphon.

  • John Luther Adams

    The Light That Fills the World

    Performer: Marty Walker. Performer: Robin Lorentz. Performer: Barry Newton. Performer: Amy Knoles. Performer: Bryan Pezzone.
    • The Light That Fills the World.
    • Cold Blue Music.

  • Hanus G. Johansen

    Troystarkvaedi

    Lyricist: Poul F. Joensen. Singer: Hanus G. Johansen.
    • Gaman og 谩lvara.
    • KIS Records.

  • Trad.

    Unst Boat Song (arr. for string quartet)

    Performer: Asbjorn Norgaard. Performer: Rune Tonsgaard Sorensen. Performer: Frederik Oland. Performer: Fredrik Sj枚lin. Ensemble: Danish String Quartet.
    • Last Leaf.
    • ECM.

  • Tr贸ndur Bogason

    脷r Mj酶rkanum (Through the Fog)

    Ensemble: Aldub谩ran.
    • Tr贸ndur Bogason - The Distance Between Us.
    • TUTL.
    • 3.

  • Trad.

    Kr谩kan Situr 谩 Steini (The Crow Sits on a Rock)

    Ensemble: Cat Goscovitch.
    • 1902.
    • TUTL.

  • John Luther Adams

    Lines Made by Walking: II. Along the Ridges

    Ensemble: JACK Quartet.
    • Lines Made by Walking.
    • Cold Blue Music.

  • Benedicte Maurseth

    Harr

    Performer: Benedicte Maurseth.
    • Hubro.

  • Trad.

    The Wedding of King Hans

    Choir: Dancers and Singers from Sumba.
    • Traditional Music in the Faroe Islands 1950-1999.
    • FREMEAUX.
    • 19.

  • Kristian Blak

    贵谤铆蝉补谤苍颈谤

    Performer: Angelika Hansen. Performer: Kristian Blak.

  • Claire M Singer

    Eilean

    Performer: Claire M Singer.
    • Solas.

  • Benedicte Maurseth

    Augnast

    Performer: Benedicte Maurseth.
    • Harr.
    • Hubro.
    • 1.

Broadcast

  • Tue 27 Dec 2022 16:00
    麻豆约拍 Radio 3

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