0:00:00 > 0:00:06Sarah Campbell, BBC News.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Warms the cockles.
0:00:08 > 0:00:15Now on BBC News, The Travel Show.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20This week on The Travel Show, I am in Norway, because I have heard of
0:00:20 > 0:00:24what must be one of the world's most unique music festivals, where the
0:00:24 > 0:00:31stage and the instruments are made of ice. So, I am taking the chance
0:00:31 > 0:00:40to head off from Oslo to Bergen on a musical journey on one of the
0:00:40 > 0:00:43world's most spectacular railways. I'm going to look deep into Norway's
0:00:43 > 0:00:47routes, trying to get a sense of how this country's landscapes, culture,
0:00:47 > 0:01:04and society are brought to life by its music. -- roots. At first, I
0:01:04 > 0:01:10start my trip in Norway's capital of Oslo. And on the Oslo waterfront, a
0:01:10 > 0:01:14Reformation has been taking place. A big part of that was the spectacular
0:01:14 > 0:01:20building, the Oslo Opera House. It celebrates its 10th anniversary this
0:01:20 > 0:01:25year, and is a symbol of this city's commitment to the arts. So it is a
0:01:25 > 0:01:37perfect place to hear some traditional Norwegian goat horn.
0:01:37 > 0:01:51PLAYING HORN.That is so good!Thank you!It is amazing that such a
0:01:51 > 0:01:56variety of sounds come out of such a simple instrument.Yes, it is quite
0:01:56 > 0:02:01simple, as you see. It is a bone, and it is a goat's corn, all at the
0:02:01 > 0:02:06wrong way, this way. Actually, it was not made for making music. The
0:02:06 > 0:02:10shepherds had it to keep the and bears away.So this was a warning.
0:02:10 > 0:02:16This is not pretty music!Yes, not many melodies are written down, as
0:02:16 > 0:02:21we know, but some.Would you say there is something unique riding
0:02:21 > 0:02:26through Norwegian music, and waiters come from?Nature gives me a loss of
0:02:26 > 0:02:37power and a lot of inspiration to make music. We are quite isolated.
0:02:37 > 0:02:46Still, there are people who do this, try to make their own voice.So I am
0:02:46 > 0:02:53about to head off through the country to Bergen, listening to
0:02:53 > 0:02:57music along the way. It is there a member should be listening out for?
0:02:57 > 0:03:01Is there something should be paying attention to?Try to find some folk
0:03:01 > 0:03:10music, some singers, and also go to small clubs. Look for the small
0:03:10 > 0:03:17spots. There are people working all over the place.So now I have my
0:03:17 > 0:03:24mission, there is a train to catch. Joining me for the first part of my
0:03:24 > 0:03:31trip is Jan, a fanatic and a man who wrote a book on the bogans violence.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36Why did you write this big long book all about this railway? --
0:03:36 > 0:03:42Bergensbanen.The Bergensbanen is iconic in Norway and in Europe, I
0:03:42 > 0:03:51think. Many people know the name and know what they will see when the
0:03:51 > 0:03:55come here.Along its 308 miles, the trend never gets challenging but
0:03:55 > 0:04:01starting to rain. At its peak of over 1200 metres, it is one of
0:04:01 > 0:04:06your's highest railways, before it descends steeply into Norway's
0:04:06 > 0:04:10second city of Jan. It is elemental landscape pose a huge challenge, and
0:04:10 > 0:04:13an engineering triumph for those working on the rail during its
0:04:13 > 0:04:20construction, between 1894 and 1909, with about 20 people thought to have
0:04:20 > 0:04:25died in the process. At a time when Norway's independence was always on
0:04:25 > 0:04:29the horizon, that the construction of the Bergensbanen was more than an
0:04:29 > 0:04:35added convenience for travellers. This line connected the east and the
0:04:35 > 0:04:39western part of Norway. Before that, people had to go around and take
0:04:39 > 0:04:46boats by the sea, or small horse roads, through the mountains. So the
0:04:46 > 0:04:51trends were opening at Norway. The construction work was darted in
0:04:51 > 0:04:561898, and at that time, we were admin by Sweden, and they did not
0:04:56 > 0:05:01like this at all, because they thought it could be used for
0:05:01 > 0:05:05military purpose.So this is a sign of Norwegian strength, that maybe
0:05:05 > 0:05:11was not an approved of?You could say that.So in a way, this is a
0:05:11 > 0:05:16symbol for the founding of the Norwegian nation.Yes. All this
0:05:16 > 0:05:20makes it special. You can't find this in other lines. This is what
0:05:20 > 0:05:30Norway is.As Jan ridges to stop, I settle in. Three and a half hours
0:05:30 > 0:05:39from Oslo, I pull into this town. But it is not my destination. --
0:05:39 > 0:05:48reaches his stop. This town usually features the eyes busy festival. But
0:05:48 > 0:06:01on a go upwards, almost 500 metres higher, to the new home of Finse. --
0:06:01 > 0:06:31the Ice Music Festival. You really feel and see it in the air. It is
0:06:31 > 0:06:36cold here. And it is this cold, the icy conditions and the elevation,
0:06:36 > 0:06:41that led explorers like Shackleton to train here before going on there
0:06:41 > 0:06:47at expeditions. Word is today will reach a low of -23 Celsius tonight.
0:06:47 > 0:06:56So I should write up. -- rug up. What makes this festival extra
0:06:56 > 0:07:00special is that the instruments are actually made on the day, from
0:07:00 > 0:07:10nearby ice. Among the line-up this year is everything from ice horns to
0:07:10 > 0:07:16ice drums, and ice didgeridoos. The concert is only hours away, and here
0:07:16 > 0:07:20you are making the instruments. This has to be an unusual thing for a
0:07:20 > 0:07:25musician.For me it is not. For most musicians it is. Good sending ice is
0:07:25 > 0:07:29the most difficult part. You cannot just go to your freezer. You cannot
0:07:29 > 0:07:37go to the next lake. Ice is like wine - there are good years and bad
0:07:37 > 0:07:50years.So why ice? What inspired this festival?It is nearly 20 years
0:07:50 > 0:07:56as the first time I tried eyes. And I found the sound so fantastically
0:07:56 > 0:08:07beautiful. -- ice. With this water, you can drink it after the concert.
0:08:07 > 0:08:13All we can do is give it back to nature, where it belongs, and also,
0:08:13 > 0:08:20the ice reminds me that we need to treat ice so gentle not to break it.
0:08:20 > 0:08:25It is like how we treat nature.Why is this happening in Norway, in
0:08:25 > 0:08:29particular, aside from all the ice? At it one of the reasons we can do
0:08:29 > 0:08:38this in Norway is that we are very lucky that we have for many years at
0:08:38 > 0:08:41a government that was to support music. This makes it possible for a
0:08:41 > 0:08:47musician like me to work with contemporary improvised music, to
0:08:47 > 0:08:54survive, to be even be able to build a house that they buy a house. It
0:08:54 > 0:09:00allows me to experiment. -- that I have been able to buy a house.What
0:09:00 > 0:09:17is this?This is an ice-aphone.The sound is phenomenal.Do you like it?
0:09:17 > 0:09:23That is lovely. Any Jedi could have a go?Very carefully. -- any chance
0:09:23 > 0:09:31I could have a go.I also will demonstrate no ability. You may as
0:09:31 > 0:09:46given to a child.Absolutely. It works?This is great! -- you may as
0:09:46 > 0:09:49well give it to a child.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54But one of the biggest challenges are putting on this festival is the
0:09:54 > 0:10:04construction of the venue itself. And ice concert Hall. -- mandatory.
0:10:04 > 0:10:12And this professor oversees the construction. He and his students
0:10:12 > 0:10:16have battled conditions for six days to create a solid structure. -- An
0:10:16 > 0:10:27ice. Each day's work has resulted in disaster.We started with plan a and
0:10:27 > 0:10:36ended up with plan y. Because every day, you know, it is like you're
0:10:36 > 0:10:44climbing wall, slippery, and full-back down again. Next day you
0:10:44 > 0:10:52start again. -- Finse. But that is how it is and that is the challenge.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56You need to work with the forces, because you can never beat them. --
0:10:56 > 0:11:01fall back. When we work with them, you know, it is like having a good
0:11:01 > 0:11:04friend.It seems lead your team is working very, very hard.Good luck.
0:11:04 > 0:11:10We will see how it works out. We just need to see how it goes. We
0:11:10 > 0:11:17have some hours left.So as evening approaches, the finishing touches
0:11:17 > 0:11:24are fast being made around the site. I really like it because it is kind
0:11:24 > 0:11:28of the sound of nature. So it doesn't sound like anything else you
0:11:28 > 0:11:36have ever heard. So people are really surprise when they hear it
0:11:36 > 0:11:46for the first time. You don't get to practise, so the music gets made on
0:11:46 > 0:11:54stage in front of the audience, and that Israeli special. Many people
0:11:54 > 0:11:59are like, what, is this possible? That is critical. -- and that is
0:11:59 > 0:12:04really special. I guess there is a lot of folk music on it. It is very
0:12:04 > 0:12:13Nordic, with the ice and the snow at the cold winters. Just in the nick
0:12:13 > 0:12:22of time, we gather for it to make an evening of ice music.-- we gather
0:12:22 > 0:12:32for an evening of ice music.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:13:03 > 0:13:09That was amazing. Such a bonkers sound scape and amazing to think
0:13:09 > 0:13:14that although were made from rice. It is also an interesting way to
0:13:14 > 0:13:18experience the landscape of Norway, freezing cold with a full moon
0:13:18 > 0:13:26overhead. I am frozen through. It is time to head in.
0:13:39 > 0:13:44Next morning, the festival continues without me as I returned to the
0:13:44 > 0:13:57Bergensbanen for the next part of my journey. Travelling on this stretch
0:13:57 > 0:14:01of the line, you start to appreciate the vast landscapes that this
0:14:01 > 0:14:05country has to offer. And I cannot imagine a better way of experiencing
0:14:05 > 0:14:12them than this.
0:14:26 > 0:14:36MORNING BY GREIG PLAYS
0:14:42 > 0:14:46well, my train has arrived at its destination but my musical journey
0:14:46 > 0:14:53across Norway is not yet finished a close I am in Bergen, a cultural
0:14:53 > 0:14:56hotspot and a great way to experience the great musical
0:14:56 > 0:15:02heritage of Norway.
0:15:17 > 0:15:27Edvard Grieg, Norway is pot most well loved composer. Here, a museum
0:15:27 > 0:15:31to him has preserved and restored the grounds where he wants worked.
0:15:31 > 0:15:38-- once worked.You can see now we will enter the house and this is the
0:15:38 > 0:15:43main entrance.This year will be a milestone for the mad as it will be
0:15:43 > 0:15:51150 years since he wrote his famous piano concerto. He really was an
0:15:51 > 0:15:55appreciated composer in his lifetime.We know that in Great
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Britain he was one of the most popular living composers in his
0:15:58 > 0:16:04time.
0:16:11 > 0:16:19The second part of the 19th century was going together with all of this
0:16:19 > 0:16:24national movement in Norway and Norway was, by then, a country
0:16:24 > 0:16:30together with Sweden with one king living in Sweden and he found very
0:16:30 > 0:16:38young and fresh style and I think that built upon those dance rhythms
0:16:38 > 0:16:46and folk music elements in his bigger compositions. He looked upon
0:16:46 > 0:16:52folk songs as something universal. They survive from generation to
0:16:52 > 0:16:56generation and if you slip through the board as you can find the same
0:16:56 > 0:17:06in folk music.And some of the folk music that inspired him can still be
0:17:06 > 0:17:13heard today. One of the best ways to experience it is with dance. This
0:17:13 > 0:17:17dance company performs contemporary dance all the way around Norway and
0:17:17 > 0:17:20beyond that is inspired by nature and traditional Norwegian folk
0:17:20 > 0:17:26roots. They have agreed to show me some of the traditional elements
0:17:26 > 0:17:30shared in a traditional dance.
0:18:04 > 0:18:11The dance is mostly a show off lands. 100 years ago women or also
0:18:11 > 0:18:16did that dance. It is mostly boys or men doing the dance because we want
0:18:16 > 0:18:30to. We want to impress the other men or women. Put your right foot in
0:18:30 > 0:18:35front of the left. Side words. Believe me, this is harder than it
0:18:35 > 0:18:43looks.And if you jump a little on each step one, two. Yes. Nice? And
0:18:43 > 0:18:51then around.I think I am getting hang of it.One, two, one, two.And
0:18:51 > 0:18:58then we can come down here. No! So what is the relationship between the
0:18:58 > 0:19:03dance and the music?The fiddle is our national instrument. Some people
0:19:03 > 0:19:10say the fiddle, the music came because of the dance and some say it
0:19:10 > 0:19:14was the other way. I think they depend on each other. For me and for
0:19:14 > 0:19:19many it is very important to use the music dancing and the music makes me
0:19:19 > 0:19:26want to do suddenly some steps and everything. It is life. Nothing
0:19:26 > 0:19:44planned, it is just happening. Nice! Back in the old days they used the
0:19:44 > 0:19:48ceilings to kick down a coin or keep their heels.They kicked the
0:19:48 > 0:19:55ceiling?The houses were smaller back in those days. In the 1800s the
0:19:55 > 0:20:02military started competitions to try and kick a hat from a stick and it
0:20:02 > 0:20:05was about who could kick the highest. And then it was
0:20:05 > 0:20:13incorporated in the dance. So we do it as a part of the dance and, of
0:20:13 > 0:20:20course, it must be a good kick and the higher it is, the better it is.
0:20:20 > 0:20:26Everyone in Norway, I think if I say the name of the drams, they think of
0:20:26 > 0:20:33kicking the hat, that it is the man -- Mangold. At the dance is the main
0:20:33 > 0:20:47goal, kicking the hat is just topping it. -- they think that
0:20:47 > 0:20:50kicking the hat is the main goal.
0:20:59 > 0:21:06Finally, I wanted to get a sense of where all of this is leading. In a
0:21:06 > 0:21:10former meat factory a short walk from the city centre, it serves as a
0:21:10 > 0:21:16venue and melting pot for artists of all types in the city. This creative
0:21:16 > 0:21:20hub is home to the studios of electronic, just, hip-hop and many
0:21:20 > 0:21:27other types of music and it is where much of Norway's future music is
0:21:27 > 0:21:33being thrashed out.These days especially there is some new mixing
0:21:33 > 0:21:43of old traditions with very new electronic and experimental music.
0:21:43 > 0:21:55This man has a studio here and played saxophone in tonight 's big.
0:21:55 > 0:22:04-- gig.Tonight we play with a guitar player. It is ambient
0:22:04 > 0:22:09experimental something, you know. I think it has a lot to do with the
0:22:09 > 0:22:16size of the city you in urban. Only a few people play things so you have
0:22:16 > 0:22:24to co-operate. -- city here again. Bergen I feel like I have
0:22:24 > 0:22:30rediscovered this place through its music. It is a country constantly
0:22:30 > 0:22:35inspired by nature. In treasures its traditions but is not afraid to look
0:22:35 > 0:22:42forward. Where artist are free to experiment and supported as a
0:22:42 > 0:22:46crucial part of society and were distinctive sounds can be found in
0:22:46 > 0:22:51the smallest of communities. Is the Bergensbanen showed me Norway's
0:22:51 > 0:22:56muscle its music has shown me its heart and soul.