photo: Niss Stricker

Niss Stricker
Niss is musician and songwriter from Copenhagen; you will find him in Danish songwritercafés with his harp, sitar or guitar in the hands and a song on his lips. He sings and plays music of many different kinds, ranging from folk ballads to psychedelic poetry.
At the NHM 2010 in Gjøvik, he gave a workshop with Danish folk melodies and ballads, and how to make them relevant for recent ears. This workshop was so popular that he might continue it at the Nordic Harp Meeting 2011 at Broby Gamle Skole, and teach us some more Danish ballads. Their often modal melodies can be nicely accompanied on the harp, since it can be used both as a drone and a chord instrument.

His original description of the workshop:
"Jeg vil gerne lave en workshop omkring traditionelle danske folkemelodier og viser og hvordan jeg laver harpe-akkompagnement dertil. Jeg er selv meget interesseret i folkeviserne, specielt de historiske af dem, for deres narrative kvaliteter. De mest interessante er naturligvis dem, som er så gamle at de nærmest bliver "modale" og dertil passer harpen utrolig godt, fordi den både kan være drone- og akkordinstrument. Det ville da være interessant at lave en workshop om, historiske folkeviser og hvordan man gør dem relevante for et nutidigt øre. De fleste af dem går man ud fra har været danseviser til kædedans, men man ved intet med sikkerhed, det er kun fordi deres længde er så uoverskuelig at man må gå ud fra at de har været danset, så man holdt sig beskæftiget gennem de mange vers...;)"

Some music by Niss: here and here