Hail, nobly born, hail, honored and inviolate,
you Maiden are the piercing gaze of chastity,
you the material of holiness—
the one who pleased God.
From Ave Generosa, a psalm by Hildegard von Bingen
Sanger fra al-Hol (Songs from al-Hawl) is a performance piece by Johanne Laache with vocal ensemble Trio Mediæval, boys’ choir Sølvguttene and conductor Fredrik Otterstad.
Sanger fra al-Hol is an artistic exploration of the role of women and mothers in international terrorism.
The piece was first shown in Emanuel Vigeland Mausoleum on September 11th 2021. The text is taken from the psalm Ave Generosa, written by Hildegard von Bingen. Lars Brusletto Sveen has translated the psalm from Latin to English and Norwegian. The textile installation is hand woven by Johanne Laache and is made from cotton and linen.
Trio Mediæval is an internationally recognized vocal ensemble and was established in 1997. The ensemble consists of Linn Andrea Fuglseth, Anna Maria Friman and Jorunn Lovise Husan.
Sølvguttene is Norway’s most famous boys’ choir and was established by Torstein Grythe in 1940.
Fredrik Otterstad (b. 1975) became the conductor for Sølvguttene in 2004. Fredrik, a former Sølvgutt, has his education from the Norwegian Academy of Music and the Bårdar Academy.
Johanne Laache (b. 1992) is a visual artist based in Oslo.
The project has received financial support from the City of Oslo, FFUK and Ragnvald and Ida Blix’ Fond.
Prosjektet er støttet av Oslo kommune, Fond for Utøvende Kunstnere og Ragnvald og Ida Blix’ Fond.
Photos by Kristoffer Lislegaard.
