FLÚR is the fourth album released by the Reykjavík based duo FUNI. The songs on the album come from the kvæðalag, tvísöngur and hymn singing traditions of Europe’s most remote nation. Despite Iceland’s high musical profile, its unique and varied folk song heritage has, sadly, remained largely unheard and unknown by today’s folk and world music audiences. The fifteen songs on FLÚR represent a small but significant step towards remedying this state of affairs. In the past, these songs were usually performed unaccompanied. Now, Bára Grímsdóttir and Chris Foster add accompaniments using the traditional Icelandic langspil along with kantele, guitar and hammer dulcimer. On FLÚR, they are also joined by Andri Eyvindsson, saxophone and vocals; Birgir Bragasson, double bass; Hafsteinn Þórólfsson, vocals and Lárus Grímsson, clarinet. The disc comes in a beautifully designed digi-pack, which includes a 32 page illustrated booklet with introductory notes and full song texts in both Icelandic and English. FLÚR - is an old Icelandic word that means decoration. It comes from the same root as the English word ‘flower’ and it can signify either musical or visual ornamentation. FUNI - an old Icelandic word meaning flame or fire - are Bára Grímsdóttir and Chris Foster, consummate performers of the traditional songs of Iceland and England. They started working together in 2001, breathing new life into great songs that have been hidden for too long in old recordings, little known books and manuscripts. They also add new songs to the tradition. Bára and Chris have toured widely in mainland Europe, as well as throughout Iceland and Britain. They have also performed in China and made five visits to the USA. Bára Grímsdóttir is simply one of Iceland’s best traditional singers. She is also widely respected in Iceland as a composer, especially of vocal music. She started life surrounded by the folk songs of her parents and grandparents on the family farm Grímstunga in the north of Iceland. Bára has a special interest in the old rímur and kvæðalög styles of song, but she also sings in other traditional styles, both secular and religious. In her role as composer and arranger, Bára continues to draw on the well of traditional Icelandic music, while as a performer, she invests the traditional songs that she performs with a natural authority born from having been surrounded by them from birth. Chris Foster grew up in Somerset in the south west of England. A master of his trade, he was recently described as “one of the finest singers and most thoughtful inventive guitar accompanists of English folk songs, meriting legend status.” Over the past 40 years, he has toured throughout the UK, Europe, Canada and the USA. He has recorded six solo albums as well as working on many collaborative projects. On stage, his fine musicianship and powerful singing is underpinned by an urbane wit and engaging enthusiasm, which draws his audiences into the ancient world of storytelling through song. Reviews ... few Icelanders sing its traditional songs, even though many are archived in the Árni Magnússon Institute... ... A leader among the exceptions is Bára Grímsdóttir, who has been singing and arranging old rímur ballads and other folk songs since she heard them on her family‘s farm as a child. A decade or so ago she met and subsequently married English folk musician Chris Foster. Since then the pair, as FUNI, living in Reykjavík, have not only been researching and working with the songs, which are traditionally unaccompanied, but to accompany them they‘ve brought back into use the old Icelandic instruments: the fretted dulcimer langspil and strange two-stringed fiðla. There‘s very little evidence of the playing styles of these instruments, save that both were bowed, so they‘ve had to deduce their own... Not only is the music on Flúr attractive, melodious and varied, FUNI are pioneers in bringing Iceland‘s neglected song tradition appealingly into the light of the 21st century, where hopefully some of Iceland‘s many young musicians will pick up on its possibilities as they have so distinctly in pop and rock. Andrew Cronshaw, fROOTS magazine ... It’s a particular pleasure, then, to come across this wonderful disc by Bára Grímsdóttir - one of Iceland’s foremost traditional singers - and British-born multi-instrumentalist, Chris Foster... ... The album makes an eloquent case for why Icelandic folk music deserves a much wider audience. Oz Hardwick, R2 magazine ... These consummate and intensely mesmerising performances are quite simply superb in their natural authority, and not in the least intimidating. David Kidman, netrhythms.co.uk ... Bára’s magnificent solo voice kicks off the desolate Æskustöðvarnar, before Chris joins her for the imposing Vatnsdalur and Ekkillinn Frá Alfrahamri. From then on, folk songs wash over one another like a relentless wave – and the guitar accompaniment which Chris generates on Með Silfurbjarta Nál is just stunning. Flúr takes some getting used to, but once it’s settled in, it’s your friend for life. How glad I am that I stuck with it. Mick Tems, Folkwales Online Magazine