Magical double bill for April! Through heartbreakingly beautiful compositions with threads to black metal, religious music, folk melodies, and spectral minimalism, the two individually acclaimed Swedish musicians, Sara Parkman and Maria W Horn, explore the rituals of grief and the musical phenomenology surrounding death in the project Funeral Folk. The Spanish guitarist Victor Herrero, who has collaborated with, among others, Josephine Foster, Michael Gira, and the Master Musicians of Joujouka, draws on equal parts classical, folkloric, and contemporary music in his masterful and present guitar playing.

In the collaboration Funeral Folk, folk violinist and singer Sara Parkman and experimental composer and multi-instrumentalist Maria W Horn beautifully merge their spheres of influence. Together, the two individually recognized Swedish musicians explore the rituals of grief and the musical phenomenology surrounding death. Parkman and Horn’s shared musical experiments began when they played in the same teenage band in their hometown of Härnösand in Ångermanland. In Funeral Folk, they return to their common background and initial harmonies, naturally exploring everything from sacred songs and minimalist spectral music to Finnish black metal and Swedish folk music in epic arrangements for synthesizers, zithers, hurdy-gurdies, guitars, mellotrons, and lamenting vocals. When Sara Parkman and Maria W Horn perform live with Funeral Folk, they are accompanied by Mats Erlandsson on guitar and zither.

Maria W Horn is a modern composer and synthesist working in a field ranging from analog synthesizers to choirs, string instruments, organ, and chamber music formats. Her music is often based on minimalist structures and explores the inherent spectral properties of sound and its ability to transcend time and space, reality, and dreams.

Sara Parkman is a violinist, singer, and composer focused on Swedish folk music. In her recent releases, she explores her Christian heritage – the sacred music that has been a part of her family for many generations.

Funeral Folk was released in 2022 as a collaboration between the modern folk music label Supertraditional and XKatedral, and the album has been widely praised. If you’re a fan of names like Okkyung Lee, Anna von Hausswolff, and Sarah Davachi, this is a concert experience not to be missed.

Victor Herrero
Victor Herrero was introduced to music in his childhood while living in the famous monastery Franco erected in a mountain valley west of Madrid (El Valle de los Caídos). There he learned to sing Gregorian and Mozarabic chants under the guidance of Benedictine monks. Joining the abbey’s well-respected boys’ choir he performed around Europe.

Ever since he has played in the popular psych band Cicely and has been involved in many different projects and journeys. Touring, recording, or playing with artists like; Josephine Foster, Michael Gira, Keiji Haino, Luzmila Carpio, Vinicio Capossela, Lucrecia Dalt, Baby Dee, Master Musicians of Joujouka, Josefin Runsteen, Sonny Simmons, Ed Askew, Lorena Álvarez, Alasdair Roberts, Eric Chenaux, and more.

Herrero draws equally from classical, folkloric, and contemporary music, connecting to many traditions. His diverse inspirations are also reflected in his latest album, “Pajarito Negro” (2023). An album that once again showcases him as an outstanding guitarist and a lyrical composer, but also as a musician who manages to integrate numerous traditions – such as Andalusian and Mexican folk music, medieval folk, and much more. Victor Herrero has delivered touching concerts at both ALICE and Fanø Free Folk Festival, and we look forward to presenting him again in April.

ALICE at Stairway
While the concert hall at Nørre Allé 7 is undergoing renovation, ALICE is located at the music venue Stairway in Vanløse.