Naragonia Quartet – Nehalennia (Trad Records, 2025)
Naragonia Quartet’s Nehalennia is a finely constructed chamber-folk album with a strong sense of memory and motion. Named for an ancient goddess once venerated around the North Sea, it feels enveloped in tidal history: Flemish dance traditions, Irish folk colors, and western classical poise meet with graceful confidence.
“Limosa” opens with buoyant, toe-tapping energy and accordion exchanges carrying a lively communal feel. By contrast, “Nehalennia” turns inward, quiet and wistful, drawing out the ensemble’s gift for restraint. Throughout the album, accordion, fiddle and bagpipe delight with polished intimacy, never crowded, always conversational.
The quartet formed in 2006 when it expanded the Naragonia duo that Pascale Rubens and Toon Van Mierlo launched in 2003. The current lineup features Rubens (diatonic accordion, violin, vocals), Van Mierlo (diatonic accordion, bagpipes), Maarten Decombel (mandola, guitar), and Luc Pilartz (violin). Members also appear in other contemporary folk projects including Hot Griselda, Novar, Mandolinman, Snaarmaarwaar, Panta Rhei, Trio Trad, and Faran Flad.
Touring across Europe has helped the ensemble develop a cohesive sound centered on strong melodies. Several earlier tunes from the group’s catalog are now widely played within folk sessions and are often treated as traditional classics.
Guests on the album: Grégory Jolivet on hurdy-gurdy; Jeroen Geerinck on bodhran.
Author: Madison Quinn
