Sarah-Jane Summers and Juhani Silvola are certainly no strangers to fans of world music, with their three albums together recognized as “Top of the World” by Songlines magazine. Finnish/Norwegian guitarist Juhani Silvola is also a versatile composer, arranger and producer with a master’s degree in electroacoustic composition from the Norwegian Academy of Music. Scottish violinist Sarah-Jane Summers, based in Norway, is also a very inventive musician and arranger whose previous projects have been demonstrated exemplary talent, skill and magic. Together, Summers and Sivola are known as the duo, Widdershins (a Scots word that means to go against the norm).

As part of the Grappa record label’s 40^th anniversary, Summers and Silvola have released Sølvstrøk to present a variety of traditional and original music arranged for chamber orchestra with fiddles, violas, cellos, double bass and guitar. Sølvstrøk were headliners at Førdefestivalen 2021, and they wow’ed the audience with their chamber folk combining traditional Scottish and Scandinavian music with contemporary classical music. The orchestra consists of some of Norway's leading traditional fiddlers and classical players. Summers and Silvola also recently toured with a commission (Nordlysfestivalen 2022) written for their duo and string quintet. For even more info, see www.heilorecords.no and www.sarah-janesummers.com

Sølvstrøk shines with a radiance that is both inspired and inspiring. Five traditional tunes, arranged by Summers and Silvola, become beautiful carefully-cultivated musical journeys with plenty of emotional depth. A fairly common Shetland reel usually heard in an up-tempo setting, “Christmas Day I da Mornin’” becomes a formidable and joyful six-minute experience when arranged and presented as more of an air in the chamber folk orchestral setting. While “Number 81” was released on the duo’s third album, The Smoky Smirr o Rain, for this project the two arrangers decided to “supersize” it. Other traditional pieces offered include a strathspey (“Donald Morison”), reel (Miss Mary MacDonald”) and 9/8 jig they decide to play in an even more lively setting (“In Dispraise of Whisky”) and that includes some unique soloing between the clarion orchestral interludes.   

Summers’ five original compositions also illustrate considerable variety from the opening march written for their son (“Tune for Alistair”) to a prayer put to music (“Morning Prayer”) to three pieces written for Summers’ Celtic Connections New Voices commission in 2018 (“Owerset I,” “Owerset II” and “Call and Response”). “Owerset I” is presented as a snappy triple fiddle treat lasting two spirited minutes and featuring Olav Luksengård Mjelva, Bjørn Kåre Odde and Erlend Viken.        

Sarah-Jane Summers and Juhani Silvola have again succeeded with an album that capitalizes on their intuitive and confident musical rapport. Sølvstrøk is an effervescent offering full of dynamics, colors, texture and space. At the same time, their sonic canvas has elements of mystery, whimsy and humor splashed throughout the tracks. (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)