St. Morten (Frode Haltli Avant Folk feat. Helga Myhr)

On November 29th 2020 Frode Haltli ‘Avant Folk’ would have performed at the main stage of the Norwegian Opera with Helga Myhr as a guest in the band. When the concert was cancelled on short notice due to corona regulations, the musicians decided to record a Christmas song to soften the blow. Singer and Hardanger fiddle player Helga Myhr brought a little known song from her home village: ‘St. Morten’, a traditional Norwegian version of ‘The Twelve days of Christmas’. An impressive cumulative song, where gifts beyond what you could possibly expect are given through 12 verses. Frode Haltli had ideas for an arrangement of the song which also incorporated the Scottish tune ’The Badger’ and the Swedish polska ’Back-Marits vallåt’. The recording took place in the beautiful Oppegård Church in Svartskog, Frode Haltli’s home place on the countryside just outside of Oslo.