The shimmering beauty of the combined voices of Anna Maria Friman, Linn Andrea Fuglseth and Torunn Østrem Ossum floats in an ethereal realm of crystalline precision. Their harmonies are so exquisite that it's tempting to call them angelic. But there's also an earthiness about Trio Mediaeval's music that's essentially soulful. Finding common ground between ancient and new music, the three Scandinavian women evoke a spontaneous spirit that's akin to jazz. Formed in Oslo in 1997, the trio has long juggled early music — often liturgical material never intended to be sung by women — and music written by modern composers specifically for their breathtaking voices. But the group's new album, Folk Songs, applies that stunning technique to the Norwegian traditional tunes the women grew up singing. The trio's soaring voices are further rooted by the percussion of Birger Mistereggan, giving an almost tribal, throbbing pulse to this celestial chorus.
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