HASSE POULSEN & HENRIK SIMONSEN /  Record Design

THE PARSONAGE MELODIES

The Parsonage Melodies
Præstegårds Melodier is the sound of a duo travelling through the landscapes of their old country. The scenery is at once comfortable and well known, and yet full of surprises. What will happen around the next corner?

Henrik Simonsen and Hasse Poulsen have played together since the end of the eighties, when they used to make their living playing birthdays and marriages while throwing themselves whole-heartedly into all the weird situations that Hasse’s experimentations created.

Together they have played Icelandic folk songs, international new jazz, as well as roots and country music. Now the time has come to demonstrate their talent as fine, elaborate tunesmiths. In a musical language that also inspired Carl Nielsen and Jan Johansson, they create images from the hills of Søllerød, hinting at old stories while also demonstrating an inextinguishable desire to discover what the hills hide today.

The titles of Præstegårds Melodier are all from the area around the parsonage of Søllerød. The melodies were written during the lockdowns of 2020 and are therefore too new to have developed their own stories. Hopefully the titles will share the feelings that Poulsen and Simonsen experienced while composing and recording the tunes.

Just like the melodies themselves, the titles refer to the Scandinavian treasure trove of traditional and popular melodies. There is a taste of other times. Not specific times or events, but past lives and people. We remember them and feel that they are still part of our current, overwhelming times.
With Præstegårds Melodier Hasse shows us where he comes from, while Henrik proves that, as well as being an exquisite accompanist, he is also a first-rate soloist.

Vise fra Nordsjælland. Song from Northern Zealand opens the record in a slow tempo. Just like most of the other pieces on Præstegårds Melodier, it is in a minor key. It starts out with a full-sounding double bass, setting a basic tone for the melody – and for the rest of the record.

Sommerdans på Degneengen. Summer Dance on the Servants’ Meadow. Degneengen lies beyond the lake of Søllerød in the valley below the church. A stream running through it makes it very swampy. Between the old thatched houses and the lake, it is easy to imagine a dance party on a bright summer night. The guitar rattles slightly, because the summer dance was recorded before the guitar was repaired.

Frokost på Kroen. Lunch at the Inn. Opposite the church lies Søllerød Kro, a popular restaurant that is always packed. An inn is the setting for worldly happenings, so the music is a bluesy affair moving between 3⁄4 and 9/8. Along the way, the diners are filled with enthusiasm inspired by the fine food and drink.

Historiefortælleren. The Storyteller. There are not many people in Søllerød, so when you meet someone, you usually stop and share some news. Even though the story is in an open minor key, what the bass is playing does not sound very sad. The guitar carries the story lightly around the scale for a tour or two, before the instruments come together to reprise the theme.

De små Timer. In the Small Hours. At night it is very quiet in the rectory, so thoughts tend to stray into the strangest places. Here they have been seduced by a melody in 7/4.
Midsommersang ved Furesøen. Midsummer Song at Furesøen. A midsummer party in June is a beautiful Danish tradition. It is a quiet party where you meet friends and family, walk by the water and watch the many bonfires flaring up in the quiet twilight.

Hulvejens historie. The Story of the Hollow Road. Between the car park of Søllerød Kro and where the road turns towards the church’s main entrance and the rectory, an old lane has been carved out, leading down to the lake. This is the old main road between Copenhagen and Northern Zealand. It is hard to believe that such a narrow and pot-holed lane was once a highway. But it is easy to imagine the life that took place here. Today it is a beautiful footpath from which you can admire the tall beech trees on the slope that rises towards Søllerød Castle.

Mellem Venner. Among Friends is a melody played by Henrik. He gives us a very lyrical solo, after which he sets the base for what Hasse has to say. Finally, he plays the theme again. We are amongst friends.

Tanker mellem Birkene. Thoughts amongst the Birch Trees. It is a characteristic Scandinavian landscape: a hill with tall grass and birch trees, sloping down towards a lake. In the cemetery of Søllerød, there is just such a spot. Here Hasse’s father lies buried, so this is a place where many thoughts mingle. Henrik too has a lot to say, in what is probably his finest solo on the record.

Ræven og Rådyret. The Fox and the Deer. When, in the early hours of the morning, you look out the window from the music room in the rectory, you often see a fox passing by on its daily round. Later on, a deer or two come to graze, or eat what they can find on the manure. The fox and the deer never meet each other.
Et Møde på Kirkegården. A Meeting in the Cemetery. Søllerød cemetery is very large and its picturesque location attracts many walkers. When you meet in a cemetery, you often choose a solemn topic of conversation. At least, that’s the case for the two people who meet here.

Den stille Konfirmand. The Quiet Confirmand. On the shelves in the rectory there was a stack of photographs of Søllerød Church confirmands, from the early 1960s right up until today. Before the church’s administrative building was constructed in 1993, religious teaching took place in the confirmation room, which is where these tunes were recorded. On the black-and-white photos from the sixties, the confirmands look very quiet and friendly.

Hasse Poulsen / Stephen Clarke

 

All tunes composed by Hasse Poulsen (KODA, DK)

Recorded during spring 2021 in Søllerød Præstegård by Poulsen & Simonsen
Mixing engineer: Gilles Olivesi
Mastering by: Pierre Vanderwaeter / Studio Lakanal

Cover and inner photos by Denis Rouvre
Graphic design by Christian Kirk Jensen / Danish Pastry Design

Cover notes by Hasse Poulsen
Translation to English: Stephen Clarke
Translation to French: Denis Desassis

Printed by www.rockerspro.pl

Produced by Hasse Poulsen & Henrik Simonsen
with support from Oktoberfonden, KODA Udgivelsespuljen

Contact:
disques@das-kapital.com

Das Kapital Records
www.daskapitalrecords.com

Das Kapital Records CD22A15