Band Performs Ancient 13th Century Icelandic Hymn In A German Train Station

Watch what happens in the following video from Arstidir when a band performed an Icelandic hymn written back in 1208 entitled “Heyr, himna smiður” in a train station outside the city of Wuppertal, Germany.

Imagine making your commute home, when cutting through a busy train station. But this time, instead of a bustling crowd, you’re met by an angelic chorus.

They are the Icelandic folk group Árstíðir. The band had just finished a concert in Wuppertal and were making their way back to their lodgings when the station’s perfect acoustics struck them. Its arched, stone ceiling resembled a cathedral-like environment.

Excited by the success of the night, the six men broke into song. A hush then immediately fell over people passing by. Some listeners almost certainly missed their trains staying to enjoy the beautiful harmonies.

Although this song, “Heyr himna smiður,” dates to approximately 1208 and the Wuppertal Hauptbahnhof station was created in the mid-19th century, the sound and space seem ideally suited to each other. At one point a public announcement was piped over an intercom. Instead of ruining the music, however, it magically weaved a new voice into the harmonic tapestry.

The hymn was written by Kolbeinn Tumason back in 1208 and was composed by Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson, one of Iceland’s most significant 20th Century composers.

The video on YouTube has received over 6.7 million views.

Thanks to AtlasObscura for this video: