Categories: Archives 2026, Concerts

Scott and Johanna Hongell-Darsee

TGIF, Feb 6, 5:30pm

This Friday we welcome the return of Scott and Johanna Hongell-Darsee, who offer a program of medieval and traditional ballads that weave a world of fantasy and mystery. Doors to the sanctuary open at 5:15pm and the concert begins at 5:30pm. The concert is free with donations accepted.

Program: Medieval and Traditional Ballads

People have sung stories since times immemorial as a way to memorize and record history and myths. The songs we today call medieval and traditional ballads have their roots among Nordic epic sagas, French romantic lays, Celtic lore, and World mythology. As these songs traveled, they metamorphosed and melted into various musical traditions, weaving a world of fantasy and mystery.

Fair Annie

Scott and Johanna will perform three variants of the well-known traditional ballad “Fair Annie”, one from an island in the Baltic Sea and two from the British Isles.
Fair Annie meets a handsome and rich man on the shore one day. She falls in love and follows him to his castle far away. There they live together for many years and she gives birth to seven sons. However, the rich man never marries her. One day he declares that he will leave her to marry a noble lady that is more befitting his rank. The new bride arrives after some time, but when she realizes that he already has a woman and several children, she is furious and leaves the castle and also leaves her many ships full of gold for Annie and her sons.

Giants and Trolls

Scott and Johanna will also perform two ballads on the theme of giants and trolls. This is a character you can find in myths, legends and tales all over the world. They have different names and appearances in different parts of the world. However, what they have in common is that they are big, scary, rich and powerful—but not very clever. That is why they are always vanquished in the end.  Viderik Verlandsson is a Norwegian medieval ballad about the hero Viderik who rides out to fight against the giant Högben Resaren. Bangrey Rewey is a traditional ballad from North Carolina about the hero Bangrey Rewey who fights a mean giant and his pet, a giant wild boar.

The Artists

Scott and Johanna are a duo who perform early traditional Scandinavian/Celtic ballads and tales.

Their wanderings have led them from Finland and Iowa respectively – through Europe, Scandinavia, India, and the U.S. On the way they have picked up tales and songs that they perform together with the stories behind them, in particular exploring the links between Scandinavian, Celtic, North American, and other narrative singing traditions.

Their performances have been described as magical, inspiring, haunting, mesmerizing: “… the Hongell-Darsees summon ancient characters from the depths of our collective unconscious and bid you take leave of the modern world and join your ancestors, huddled together in a hut around a fire as the storyteller makes the hair on your arms stand straight up.” (Mel Minter, Musically Speaking, Albuquerque, NM)

Their recordings have been nominated for 3 New Mexico Music Awards. They are currently in and have had multiple hits on The Top 40 World Music Charts by Ethnocloud consecutively since 2021. Their songs can also be found on several traditional music compilations.

After relocating to New Mexico from Scandinavia in 2001, Scott and Johanna have performed all over the U.S. and in Europe at festivals, theatres, arts councils, universities, schools, libraries, and live broadcasts including:

  • The Spice of Life Soho, London, England
  • La Parfumerie, Geneve, Switzerland
  • Metronomen, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Mix Musik, Malmö, Sweden
  • Stallet Världens Musik, Etnografiska Museet, Stockholm, Sweden
  • Provincetown Playhouse and Scandinavia House, NYC
  • Outpost Performance Space with AMP Concerts, Albuquerque, NM
  • Museum of International Folk Art and Folk Art Market, Santa Fe, NM
  • Renaissance Faires: Medieval Fair of Norman, OK; Midsummers Fairytale Celtic Ren Fair, CA; Albuquerque Renaissance Faire, NM; Renaissance Celtic Faire, NM; Cavern City Renaissance Festival, NM
  • Folk/Celtic Festivals: Traditional Music Society, Los Angeles, CA; Albuquerque Folk Festival, NM; Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival, NM
  • Scandinavian Festivals of Estes Park, CO; Atlanta, GA; Los Angeles, CA; Thousand Oaks, CA; Lindsborg, KS; Albuquerque, NM
  • Storytelling Festivals of Los Angeles, CA; Four Corners, NM; Taos, NM; Albuquerque, NM
  • Universities: NYU; UNM, ENMU, San Juan College and College of Santa Fe, NM; UA; Coe College, IA
  • NPR Affiliates, KUNM, KSFR, WFHB
  • TV 2KASA Morning Show
  • New Mexico Humanities Council—Inducted as scholars since 2005

Johanna (vocals, woodwinds, stringed instruments, arrangements, composer) was born in Finland. Apart from music she has a background in theater and dance. She studied theater in France and Bharata Natyam dance in India. She has worked as a performing artist for over 40 years in Scandinavia, Europe, India, and USA and led the dance and theater company Teater Bava in Sweden for 10 years.

Scott (stringed instruments, arrangements, composer) was born in USA. Before relocating to New Mexico, he spent 16 years in Europe, where parallel to his artistic work he worked as a consultant with ballet companies such as Dance Theatre of Harlem, London Festival Ballet, English National Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet and Hamburg Ballet.

Learn more about these artists:

(Published in 2026)
Gale Wright