Hanne Tofte Jespersen

Singer, pianist, organist. Composer
Member of DJBFA

My main instruments are my voice and the piano.
I compose for and perform with musicians
within both classical and contemporary music.

I am dedicated to make the invisible world audible.
In autumn 2007 I formed Music for the Mysteries with that purpose. What has been handed down through the ages serves as marks of connections bridging inner and outer - be it scripts, symbols, all sorts of signs of tales wowen into nature and culture.

CURRENT WORKS AND PROJECTS

I am working on setting the story of a Celtic/ early Christian female saint into music. Melangell is Welsh. Her name means "Honey Angel", and she is associated with a sacred valley in Northern Wales. The script is by Welsh writer Mike Harris. It is a kind of "the-way-of-all-women" story. A first extract titled "Music for Melangell" (30 min) has been first performed during Music for the Mysteries' tour on the Faroe Islands in June 2010 as part of the Faroese festival for contemporary music, Summartónar.
I sterted composing this music in Feb 09 during a two weeks stay in Lille Skiveren.

My collaboration with Mike Harris was initiated in 07. I was on a 3 weeks composing retreat in Snowdonia (Northern Wales). In 09 it has been extended to also include the visual artist Alison Michell (born in UK, resident in DK). We are now working together on the project of creating a performance production based on Mike Harris' script. In autumn 09 I received a grant from Djbfa for that purpose.

In spring 2010 I received an artist's grant from Nordic Culture Point for a visit to The Faroe Islands. As a composer and conductor I took part in rehearsals with the Faroese choir singers who were to take part in the first performance of "Music for Melangell".

In spring 2010 I have also written a commissioned piece for solo mezzo soprano, alto and tenor, mixed choir, violin, contrabass and organ for 5 poems by George Herbert (1593-1633).
"Suite for poems by George Herbert" (20 min) was first performed 30.5.2010 during inauguration of the new organ in Ny Vor Frue Kirke.
The piece was also performed during the tour to The Faroe Islands in June.

Other current performances

I also work in a trio as a singer and storyteller in concerts for children with Insektudsigten - that is " Weather forecast for insects" (!) which in 2004-07 has had 90 performances for children from 3-10 years. I have written the story in which a swarm of honey bees plays a major role.

The same trio created a 1 hour sacred concert in 2001 based on another portion of the above mentioned Essene Gospel of Peace:
The Sevenfold Peace.

foto