Uncharted Waters Ensemble Polaris

• 1 Ninin 03:00
• 2 Ena Twigg - Halloween Peabody 02:56
• 3 Get Him 04:12
• 4 Waltz 39.3 (after J. Brahms) 03:10
• 5 Valley Girl Waltz (Vallpigan Vals) 02:12
• 6 Pasquale 04:33
• 7 I Wish in Vain 03:36
• 8 I Kopanitsa in Vain, oeuvre MMM 03:45
• 9 The Turnip Tune (Rovalaten) 03:23
• 10 Amarcord - Le manine di primavera (The Little Hands of Spring) 03:37
• 11 Solomon Buster 02:25
• 12 Vals etter vidar lande 02:49
• 13 Steklat fran Sarna 02:58
• 14 El domador de tarengue 03:22
• 15 Jeg legges i min vugge 02:55
• 16 Beetroots for Nico 02:28
• 17 Ganglat fran Klockarberg 02:59
• 18 Dry Toes Waltz 02:07
• Total Runtime 56:27

Info for Uncharted Waters

With their third and latest release, Uncharted Waters, Toronto-based, multi-cultural, multi-instrumental, quantum world music group Ensemble Polaris continues to delight on all levels — conceptually, musically and creatively. Co-produced by Patrick Jordan and the ensemble, the album continues the group’s mandate of exploring the “idea of the North” and includes 18 intriguing and visceral tracks that embrace the folk music of Scandinavia, the Balkans, France, Italy and even Venezuela. Utilizing a mind-numbing array of ethnocentric instruments (including Swedish pipes, bouzouki, recorders and accordions) as well as the rich, sumptuous voice of Katherine Hill, the ensemble achieves a musical cohesion and level of communication and symmetry that might not seem possible on paper, given the diversity of the elements involved.

One of the strongest tracks is guitarist Marco Cera’s Ninin. This stirring violin feature is dedicated to his Italian great uncle — an avid violinist. Also of note is a traditional Orkney Islands air, re-worked as Get Him, and sung stunningly by Hill in her soulful, pitch-pure alto. The rhythmic Dry Toes Waltz is an infectious (dry?) toe-tapper, re-imagined by Jew’s harpist Ben Grossman, and the haunting Norwegian Lullaby Jeg Legges I Min Vugge Nu is a precisely set gem, presented simply and beautifully as a moving duet between Hill and Alison Melville’s recorder. Also noteworthy are the sensual El Domador De Tarenque (a fusion of an Argentinean Tango and an Italian Tarantella) and Steklat Fran Sarna — a traditional Swedish wedding banquet song, rendered masterfully on Swedish pipes by Kirk Elliott. (Lesley Mitchell-Clarke, TheWholeNote)

"In truth it's not how far afield we're taken by Uncharted Waters that reflects Ensemble Polaris' particular genius. It's how the group leads us to re-discover what we've loved all along — a heartbreaking melody, a snappy dance beat — in the guise of some unexpected form." (Peter Goddard, The Toronto Star)

Marco Cera, guitars
Kirk Elliott, violin, folk harp, mandolin, accordion, bagpipe
Margaret Gay, cello
Ben Grossman, hurdy gurdy
Katherine Hill, voice, nyckelharpa (keyed fiddle)
Alison Melville, baroque flute, recorders, seljefløyte (willow flute)
Colin Savage, clarinet, bass clarinet, recorders
Debashis Sinha, percussion

Ensemble Polaris Hailed as ‘something of a revelation’ (Classic CD, UK) and ‘half ethno, half hip, and always enjoyable’ (American Recorder, USA), POLARIS brings an eclectic array of instrumental colours and musical sensibilities to everything they play, from lullabies and laments to dance tunes and nonsense songs.

Founded to explore 'the idea of North' in music, Ensemble POLARIS uses improvisation and arrangement alongside more traditional methods of music making to treat tunes from Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Scotland and Canada in innovative, categorization-defying ways. In recent years they have also developed a significant body of original repertoire using Nordic themes as their inspiration.

‘I dare you not to love this music!’ (Amazon.com)

'In truth it's not how far afield we're taken by Uncharted Waters that reflects Ensemble Polaris' particular genius. It's how the group leads us to re-discover what we've loved all along — a heartbreaking melody, a snappy dance beat — in the guise of some unexpected form.' (Peter Goddard, Toronto Star)

‘…a most attractive whole…not a single ponderous or difficult moment.’ (New Folk Sounds, Holland)

The band has performed at Toronto’s Northern Encounters Festival, Salle Pierre Mercure in Montréal, Guelph’s River Run Centre and numerous other venues, and has been heard on radio across North America and Europe on CBC-Radio 2, Radio-Canada, NPR, BBC and others. Touring thus far has taken them across western Canada and to the Maritimes.

Polaris has four critically-acclaimed CDs to their credit, all of which are physically distributed across North America by Naxos of America, and are available for download from most e-vendors. Their first, ‘Midnight Sun,’ received a ‘Disc of the Month’ rating in Britain’s Classic CD magazine. Subsequent titles are Not Much is Worse than a Troll, Vikings on Vacation, and Uncharted Waters.

The band members are Marco Cera (guitar), Kirk Elliott (violin, harp, bagpipes, psaltery, etc.), Margaret Gay (cello), Ben Grossman (hurdy gurdy), Katherine Hill (voice, violin), Alison Melville (flutes, recorders, seljefløyte), Colin Savage (clarinet, bass clarinet, recorders); Debashis Sinha (percussion); Jeffrey Wilson, (percussion).

POLARIS receives support from the Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.

Booklet for Uncharted Waters