BARRE – The Barre Opera House (BOH) presents a double folk bill featuring Sweden’s “Väsen-Duo” and Canada’s “The Fretless” on Valentine’s Day, February 14, at 7:30 p.m.
Väsen-Duo, Mikael Marin and Olov Johansson have 37 years of and touring, Their foundation is rooted in the traditional music of Uppland. Marin and Johansson have played together since 1983 when they met at Oktoberstämman in Uppsala and discovered that they had a large common repertoire and a similar way of playing. They perform on a variety of stringed instruments, including a silverbasharpa, oktavharpa, three-rowed Nyckelharpa, violoncello da spalla and a blue electric viola.
The Fretless is the Canadian ensemble playing in the emerging movement mainstreaming traditional music. Starting with their debut album in 2012, the band has won Instrumental Album of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards and Instrumental Group of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. In 2016, The Fretless took home a Juno award for Instrumental Album of The Year for their album Bird’s Nest.
The Fretless have performed at the Royal Glasgow Concert Hall in Scotland, The Colon Philharmonie in Germany, the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, the Vancouver Island Folk Fest, Winnipeg Folk Fest, Memoirs et Racines. They’re joined by Winnipeg singer-songwriter Madeleine Roger on this tour.
Tickets may be ordered online at barreoperahouse.org or call the Barre Opera House at (802) 476-8188. The Opera House, at 6 North Main Street in Barre, is handicapped accessible and equipped for the hearing impaired.
