Berglind Tómasdóttir – Bambaló

Bambaló 

a lullaby

Commissioned by the National Flute Association, Inc. for the 2013 High School Soloist Competition New Orleans, LA

The word Bambaló is, to the best of my knowledge, a nonsense word that could be used for calling and addressing a child.

This piece is inspired by old Icelandic lullabies that use the method of somewhat “scaring” children to fall asleep. Stories featuring a face looming at the window at night or comments about the Weltschmerz in general frequently occur in these songs.

In the spirit of those lullabies, Bambaló should be played softly but with a somewhat ominous tone. Imagine hearing a lullaby sung from afar, in a traditional Icelandic landscape, long before electricity and our modern amenities were invented … 

– Berglind Tómasdóttir