Christian Balvig & Ensemble Hermes have today released their new video titled ‘BirdSuite II – Praesentia’, from their upcoming album ‘Find And You Will Seek’, dropping in May.
Christian Balvig & Ensemble Hermes open a quiet portal with ‘BirdSuite II – Praesentia’, a piece that feels less like a composition and more like a state of mind gently unfolding. The custom Keybird piano breathes with a fragile intimacy, each note hovering in the air as if it might dissolve before it lands. What follows is not a melody you chase, but one that patiently circles you, drawing you inward. The track leans into stillness without ever becoming static, finding motion in restraint and emotion in the spaces between sounds.
The strings arrive like weather patterns, swelling and receding in soft, tidal gestures that never overwhelm the piano’s delicate center. Ensemble Hermes operate with a kind of emotional intelligence that keeps everything balanced on a knife edge between melancholy and comfort. It carries the cinematic weight of Balvig’s scoring work, yet avoids obvious dramatics, opting instead for something more elusive and personal. The piece feels like it is remembering something rather than declaring it, which gives it a haunting, almost subconscious pull.
What lingers most is the sense of presence the track quietly insists upon. It does not demand attention, but rewards it completely if given. The idea of listening as a form of being comes through with clarity, as each layer encourages a deeper awareness of the moment. ‘BirdSuite II – Praesentia’ does not rush to resolve itself, and that is precisely its strength. It exists in a suspended, luminous state, inviting you to stay a little longer than you planned, and maybe to notice something you would have otherwise missed.
About Christian Balvig & Ensemble Hermes
Acclaimed composer and arranger Christian Balvig is known for his work with an array of artists and bands like Jade, Efterklang, Lowly, When Saints Go Machine and Mew, as well as his work with some of the most acclaimed orchestras like Royal Northn Sinonia (BBC Proms), The Royal Danish Orchestra, Copenhagen Phil, The Danish Radio Broadcast Orchestra and The Norwegian Wind Ensemble.
The cinematic sound on the single and the forthcoming album, might echo Balvig’s work in the world of film and TV music. Scoring the 2025 Oscar shortlisted short movie ‘Eternal Father’ and the Danish hit series ‘Cry Wolf’ (Ulven Kommer), which has been shown on television in more than 30 countries around the globe, including Channel 4 in the UK. He was also nominated for a Harpa award for ‘Best score’ last year at the Berlinale for ‘The Son and the Moon (Min Arv Bor I Dig)’.
Balvig’s new album, ‘Find And You Will Seek’, backed by Danish string group Ensemble Hermes, grew organically out of this background of experiences and is music that appeals to listeners seeking original, immersive music with space for reflection and contemplation. The album is set for release in May and the first taster of it to be unveiled is the stunning ‘BirdSuite II – Praesentia’, a song which speaks to lovers of the modern neo-classical genre, represented by artists such as Ólafur Arnalds, Caroline Shaw, and Nils Frahm.
‘The BirdSuite II – Praesentia’ is the second part of a 3-part Suite written and performed on a custom made “Keybird” piano, which is an una-corda (one string pr note) piano that gives a more subtle and intimate sound. On top of it is a lush and emotional string ensemble arrangement with Ensemble Hermes in multiple layers fluctuating in and out of the keybird piano.
On the track Balvig explains, “I always find the saying from Descartes “I think, therefore I am” a bit off since I often get lost ruminating in my own thoughts. I would like to rewrite it to “I listen, therefore I am”, since I find it impossible to listen and not be present. Coming out in spring, BirdSuite is inspired by spring birds that somehow always reminds us to be present when we are walking around in our own thoughts during spring.”
‘The BirdSuite II – Praesentia’ is a beautiful foray through sound offering the comfort of orchestral instruments but with vivid experimentation. The track weaves its soft atmospheres around the listener with widescreen cinematic gorgeousness, as flourishes of strings rise above and collapse back into the enigmatic, ambient, free-flowing backdrop.
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