Buriedtreasure

Trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth introduces favourite recordings from her collection

Olav Anton Thommessen

Stabsarabesque

The Staff Band of the Norwegian Armed Forces Simax PSC1308

In Norway we have a very strong military band tradition. This piece was written for the biggest band, the Staff Band of the Norwegian Armed Forces, and I first heard it when I was very young. It has some Norwegian folk music vibes, but also some Arabic/ Middle Eastern lines. It’s quite intense and draws you in, which I really like. It’s quite abstract sometimes, too, in the kind of language that Thommessen uses.

Trad. Sonderho Bridal Trilogy

Danish String Quartet Dacapo 8226081

The Danish String Quartet went to a cabin out in the wild in Denmark and recorded traditional folk tunes from different Nordic countries. The first time I heard this I completely fell in love with it; there are tunes I recognise and they’ve done all the arrangements themselves, including this Bridal Trilogy. It’s wedding music from the Faroe Islands, Sweden and Denmark and it describes the different aspects of getting married. I love the mix of styles which, in this string quartet format, just works so well. It’s really fun.

Nordheim Den første Sommerfugl

Daniel Saether (countertenor), Birgitte Volan Håvik (harp) Lawo LWC1204 Arne Nordheim died several years ago, but he was a huge figure and by far the most famous Norwegian composer of modern music. This piece is very different from the kind of music that people associate with him. I’ve played this song a lot and when I say it’s a song by Nordheim, people assume it’s going to be really contemporary; but it has this beautiful melody and it surprises them. Tine Thing Helseth’s new album ‘Magical Memories’ is out on 28 May on the Lawo Classics label