The music of all the small places

From February 3, 2015:

I first came across the Danish String Quartet last fall in a Tiny Desk Concert at the NPR Music website. They were playing some of the tunes from this excellent new Dacapo CD Wood Works. The music had a pleasing, sweet sound, and I found the four musicians unaffected and charming, completely in tune with the ancient folk music of the islands and forests of Scandinavia. This string quartet repertoire is a nice change for those of us used to Beethoven, Brahms and Zemlinsky. It will appeal as well, I think, to fans of various flavours of roots revival. This deceptively simple music can pack an emotional punch. There is often a deep sadness built in; even the celebratory Sonderho Bridal Trilogy sounds wistful and longing, and some of the fast songs with fiddles have a manic edge. Folk music, says the excellent liner notes, is the music of all the small places. This CD is an earnest, joyous and honest expression of the genius of those small places and their people.

Here, from the Festival Wissembourg, September 6th 2014, is the group playing music from the CD: