Finally Rocks & Straws is coming home! We present Anneli Drecker in concert with her critically acclaimed and triple Spellemann Prize nominated Rocks & Straws-project, inspired by the texts of Arvid Hanssen and translated into english by Roy-Frode Løvland. The texts have their roots in the area around Harstad, in Lenvik and Dyrøy, where Hanssen grew up and worked. This world premiere presents several new songs!
After performing the music for large audiences both at home and abroad, and last time out in front of 15,000 at the O2 arena in London, Drecker looks forward to bringing her music home. She has enlisted cellists from the MiNensemblet, who together with her band, a star studded group consisting of Roger Ludvigsen, Sindre Hotvedt, Jane Kelly, Svein Schultz, Rune Arnesen and Sven Persson promise a powerful and unique evening in the large hall of the Kulturhus.
The song "Seagulls´melody" has been a big hit and Drecker´s homecoming with ”Rocks & Straws” started way back in 1986 with the band Bel Canto. As the years passed by Anneli became more focussed upon her roots. ”Rocks & Straws” depicts a Nordic, Arctic-acoustic landscape with a worldwide outlook, based upon the poetry of Arvid Hanssen. Hanssen has had a great influence upon Anneli Drecker and it is a great personal joy for her to bring his work to a broader public, not least abroad.
MiNensemblet´s quality, versatility and dexterity give the ensemble´s concerts a unique flavour which has attracted a large following. Their last visit to the Arctic Arts Festival was in 2014 in concert with Halvdan Sivertsen. Their repertoire is broad and inspired, and stretches from early music to contemporary works. They are based in Narvik and the musicians tour primarily in the region of Nordland, but also across Norway and abroad. The ensemble was founded back in 1992 and has always firmly supported contemporary music. They have collaborated with numerous composers and regularly commission new work.