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Written in fRoots issue 266/267, 2005
 

WOLFGANG MEYERING
Malbrook
Westpark 87102 (2004)

North Germany is attached to Denmark’s Jutland, and only a short sea trip from south Sweden. Historically, particularly in the days of the Hanseatic League, there has been a lot of trade, political and cultural connection between the countries. The chief language of trade in League days was Low German, the language that singer, mandola-player and Radio Berlin presenter Wolfgang Meyering was brought up speaking at home in north Germany.
      On a trip to Sweden he became aware not only of the linguistic similarities between Low German and Swedish but also of the continuity of their home countries’ musical tradition, and the possibilities of looking north in exploration of the north German material he was playing. The result is Malbrook, in which his collaborators are the Ådin family trio group Hemållt from Bohuslän in south-west Sweden, and German musicians including singer-guitarist Kerstin Blodig, playing between them German and Swedish bagpipes, hurdy-gurdy, flügelhorn, fiddle, jews harp, keyboards, percussion and Bohemian harp.
      A welcome development in the unveiling of wider German musical tradition far from stolid teutonism, the album is a varied flow of songs, ballads and tunes, part-traditional and part written by Meyering; some tunes, including the schottische of the title, are likely to ring bells with those accustomed to Swedish, Dutch or Danish music.
      Originally released on Meyering’s own label, it’s been picked up for licensing by Köln-based Westpark, www.westparkmusic.com


© 2004 Andrew Cronshaw
 

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