Bendik Riis

“Floating”

Together with contemporary composer Anniken Paulsen on the keyboard, they created a soundscape that literally hovered, sank, rose, flew, thundered and rocked to Bendik Riis’ poetry which was performed by Torill Stokkan. Terje Gade also contributed greatly in the soundscape. I listened, lived in and tried to understand. After a while I realized I didn’t understand. It was nothing to understand. It was just listening – listening and being seduced. The music she composed especially for this occasion was comparable to Pink Floyd. It was psychedelic rocking and contemporary music’s weave. The music was unpredictable, small and brilliant, like the poet himself. It was different, it was exciting, it was delicate and the audience was entranced.

Sarpsborg Arbeiderblad, July 9, 2001

“Harvested standing ovations”

The painter Bendik Riis also wrote poems, but these are little known and rarely used. CvevCompagniet has done something about this. During the Glomma Festival on Sunday evening, the ensemble had its first distinctive performance of music and poetry and the audience rewarded them with standing ovations.

Fredriksstad Blad, July 10, 2001

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