Ode to the Tawny Owl

There is always the urge to renew. In this album, more than ever before, Nynke looks for the music within language itself. In addition to the songs, the album contains a seven-minute-long spoken poem, in which she lets the sounds of her mother tongue, Frisian, guide her towards the meaning. It is an intense ode to the tawny owl, a model of patience and alertness; a bird that can harness its strength and take action at exactly the right moment. It truly knows how to wait. In the songs, a world unfolds in which Nynke extols the search for unity: the unity of man and woman, of man and nature, of life and death.

Nynke writes and produces the album with her husband, Sytze Pruiksma, and records everything at home. The cello, played by Geneviève Verhage, plays a central role. The arrangements were written by Sebastiaan Koolhoven. Sytze plays all the other instruments, including the piano, marimba, dulcimer and percussion, and also programmes the beats. The album was mixed by Sebastiaan Meijer and mastered by Darcy Proper. Else Boekema was in charge of design (Harlingse Boys). On the cover is a photo by Graham McGeorge: a tawny owl, waiting motionlessly, at one with its environment.

Reviews of Wachter (‘Guardian’)

“Passionate poetry and deeply-felt singing.” - Jos Schuring, Scènes

“Wachter (‘Guardian’) is an album of discovery and a compelling ode to the saintly patience of waiting. Coming to a standstill as progress." - Niels Steeghs, KindaMuzik

“The voice, the percussion and the cello form a magnificent trinity.” - Hessel Fluitman, Friesch Dagblad
“A powerful poet and equally powerful singer has arisen.” - Saskia Törnqvist, Het Parool