The ReMemberers is a genre-blurring trio that merges ancient folklore, global singing traditions, and instrumental virtuosity into a vivid, transportive concert experience. We are proud to present them at Swallow Hill Music on Sunday, October 5 at 7 pm.
They’ll be telling the tale of The Lindworm, which is described as “a Scandinavian wisdom tale of transformation, exile, and renewal—brought to life through rhythm, melody, and mythology.”
“Think of this evening as a form of ancient cinema,” the collective’s multi-instrumentalist Alex Harvey told us. “But instead of cameras and projectors as the tools – the tools here are harmony, community and mythology – all coming together to take us on an entertaining and enlightening journey that helps us reflect back on our own lives and times.”
TICKETS: See The ReMemberers at Swallow Hill Music on October 5
Born of “a synchronous unplanned collision,” the group also features vocalist and guitarist Violet Southard, and percussionist and master storyteller John de Kadt. They came together at a performance in the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts when Violet asked Alex to join her and John in what he calls an experiment.
“Violet invited me to bring my mandolins along. When I asked if I should accompany her songs or John’s storytelling she said ‘play whenever you feel like it,’” he recounts. That spontaneous first performance revealed an alchemy among them that created a sound “like nothing any of us had encountered before.” (Story continues below after the video.)
From those unexpected beginnings comes the tale of The Lindworm, which Alex calls one “of longing, impulsivity, avoidance, neglect, reactivity, shame, transcendence, resilience, purification and redemption. It’s a story about what happens when we try to ignore the parts of ourselves we don’t want to see.”
In Alex’s view, we are in a time of “collective descent,” which brings about a sense of grief and uncertainty. Storytelling can help us process this grief. “And how we do this – the how – is perhaps the most important part,” he says. “(By) sitting together in community – singing songs and surrendering our attention to a great storyteller speaking words from 1000 years ago that feel like they are describing us as we are right now. This is the oldest form of cultural healing – what an incredible honor to be in this relationship!”
To elevate the experience, The ReMemberers carefully consider a vast array of instrumentation, from mandolin, bouzouki, voice and guitar, to cajón, conga, and frame drum, and more. “Each sound we bring is tied to a character, a force, an image in The Lindworm tale,” he says. “Together they let the story unfold not just in words, but in textures and atmospheres you can feel in your body.”
When the people, instrumentation, and the storytelling come together, it’s a heady mix that creates something unforgettable.
“If you come to ReMemberers Lindworm,” Alex says, “you will be thinking about this experience for weeks afterwards – that is the main thing we have heard from our audiences.”
He sums it up as “music that is simple and complex at once – layered and made by hand. Music that comes from ancient traditions – and that is born again in a new context before your ears. The ultimate definition of folk music.”
TICKETS: See The ReMemberers at Swallow Hill Music on October 5