Ernst Horn at the Blackfield 2015

Before the gig started, one could spot Ernst listening to some music ... just like the rest of us ... or was he just meditating at the water?

There is no denying his age, by the way ... the way Mr Horn moves does indicatate every one of his sixty-some years ...
This did not, however, stop him from practizing some of his newly developed head-banging during the rocked-up pieces of the show like Overpaid or (funnily enough) Love me to the end.

Ernst Horn for saelde sanc Dec.27th 2013

edit: Due to the problems in the html of blogger I can't show the video of the concert here - but Saeldes Sanc kindly uploaded a song on you toube. Enjoy ;-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQWwV6mLtes 

The following review of the Ernst Horn performance with Saelde Sanc was written for the colourize forum
 http://forum.colour-ize.com by an acquiantance of mine. I am very grateful for this report, thank you!

Hannah and Ernst took their seats at piano and keyboard. They did not yet start the concert, though. Teller of tales Leonhard von Hohenlohe (aka Peter Arschteufel) made the introductions. His story about a young man and a maiden continued between the songs, leading through the concert. The songs were mainly unknown to the audience and, as with Helium Vola, the lyrics mostly in old French, Latin and Middle High German, and in general not easy to comprehend. So this was a nice and creative alternative to giving the direct translation of each song. In the second part of the concert, Peter could also show his qualities as a bard singing Irish folk songs together with Hannah.
The musical part began with “Virginis Memoriae” (“Reminiscence of the maiden”), an early composition of Hannah. The melancholic piece is not without agitation as you can hear in the interpretation with cello. Second came the Helium Vola song “Rose am Dorn”. As always with his songs, Ernst found a very simple but effective solution for the acoustic version. Hannah had to handle two microphones, one with a lot of echo, and some effects on the piano (I am not 100% sure but sandwich paper might have been part of it). This is just another example that there has to be a Helium Vola concert at one point. “Diu Nahtegal” (“the nightingale”), Hannah’s latest composition, followed. The development is clearly recognizable. This song is now available online. I was enthralled by this sad song, so I do not recall the complete set list, but part of it were the floating “Duez, j’aime par Amorette” (“I love for love”), “Amoris donat exitio” (“Love brings death”), and “Der Valche” (“The falcon”). The last song was the Scottish “Charlie is my darling”, a traditional song about Bonnie Prince Charlie. Hannah’s attachment for folk music is recognizable here. Of course, the audience did not let the artists leave without an encore after this very nice compilation of songs that created an intimate atmosphere of calm melancholy. After “Palästinalied” in the Qntal version (here on the WGT) and “Des winters langiu Naht” (“Winter’s long night”), however, the concert ended.
Somewhere I read that the music of Saeldes Sanc is like Helium Vola without electronics. This is true in view of the fact that Hannah studies classical voice and is a trained singer as well as for the classical background. Though parts of the songs linger on, like Helium Vola, this is not easy listening and no music to dance to. You have to let yourself get involved with the music and your heart will be full.
If you get the chance to be in Munich on March 29th, I recommend that you enjoy this music live yourself. Ernst is announced to support Saeldes Sanc again and Johannes Nonn, who very recently joined the project with his viola, will add a new color. Btw. the people with the longest journey to the concert on last Friday came from Mexico.

Saeldes Sanc

Musikalisch bewegt sich Saeldes Sanc in den Gefilden von Helium Vola ohne Electronic! Denn Sängerin Hannah Wagner hat bei eben bei Helium Vola von Ernst Horn mit gewirkt und nicht nur das. Die Studio-Aufnahmen von Saeldes Sanc wurden von Ernst Horn produziert.
Die Texte sind meist in mittelhochdeutsch, altfranzösisch und latainisch. (concert leaflet)

 

Saeldes Sanc seems to be a new project under the wing of Ernst Horn - rather like a more traditional answer to the highly electronic fickling of Helium Vola. Personally,  I already fell in love with Hannah's voice when she sang The Unquiet Grave on the recent Helium Vola CD. There are a couple of further samples of her voice on youtube, but for some reason I cannot link it them on the blog, be it that they are too little known (yet) or for some other reason. However, if you want to check them out yourselves, I'll be pleased to provide you with some  links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjsav0HUY2A

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S6wlsjzjd0

Hannah Wagner plays the piano as well as she is singing and is currently planning a concert with Ernst Horn in Berlin. The performance is planned for two grand pianos, vocals and the support of the Berlin Strings.

Ernst Horn und Hannah Wagner ...

.... simply some beautiful music.
I knew they performed, of course, but I have to admit that I didn't listen to the video before. A bad mistake because it is GORGEOUS

Ernst Horn and my little Miss Ash

After the concert in Cologne, we just waited for Dea of Deine Lakaien merchandize, when suddenly Ernst Horn appeared somewhere out of the dark, hurrying through the rain to some backstage affair or other. He sort of waved at us, when he suddenly saw my seven year old daughter in the middle of all the grown ups. He stopped short, turned and chatted a bit with her, asking whether she had actually endured the whole concert and hadn't it been dead boring? "My daughter, at that age ..." he said to us women, "wouldn't have sat through 10 minutes of it." He was very kind to the child and had us grown ups acting as casually as we could. Chatting with Ernst Horn? Well, yes, of course, so what? Have we ever been doing anything else?

---
The concert was no problem for a seven year old child, by the way.  Well, she had been to theatre performances before and knew that she would have to sit quietly. Also, she was familiar with most of the songs (and fortunately didn't sing the lyrics of "Over and Done" along with Alexander).
She only asked once, whether Ernst "would be told off" for being so destructive with the grand piano, but she really behaved nicely and neither tiredness nor boredom were any problem at all. I am really happy that I took her along and can recommend it to other parents.