H. C. Fell, also known as Hannes Ferm, makes his album debut with Tremble, rejoice, my tongue’s harvest, a record where a broad spectrum of musical references meets a specific family history. The album is produced by Fell and Jacob Haage and draws inspiration from opera, contemporary classical music, and the Italian castrato singing tradition. It will be released by Pomperipossa Records, Anna von Hausswolff’s label.
The personal basis is explicit: the album is dedicated to Fell’s father Jan, a composer whose music also features in the actual recording. Material from his works has been woven into the fifth track, “Evig”. This connection gives the dedication a tangible musical expression. Instead of existing merely as an explanatory text, the father’s work becomes part of the son’s debut and ties the album’s broader artistic references to a source within the family itself.
Heritage as musical material
This distinction is important when considering the stated influences of the album. Opera and contemporary classical music are broad fields, each encompassing very different approaches to composition, performance, and expression. The Italian castrato singing tradition adds a more historically specific reference, rooted in a singing culture with a distinctive relationship between the singing body and musical virtuosity. These references provide a framework for the project; they should not be confused with a description of how each individual track sounds.
Together, however, they suggest an artistic interest in the voice as something more than just a carrier of lyrics. Opera offers a context where singing has dramatic weight, while the reference to the castrato tradition directs attention to the history and expressive possibilities of vocal art. This is a way to understand the influences Fell has cited, not a claim about any particular technique he employs in the recording.
The family connection gives this frame another scale. Alongside traditions spanning generations of music history, “Evig” incorporates the works of a single composer with a direct personal relationship to Fell. The interesting aspect lies not only in the breadth of references, but in the encounter between a musical heritage and material inherited within the family. In this sense, the album’s dedication is central to how the project is presented.
The producer role also places Fell at the heart of shaping the material, together with Jacob Haage. Both are listed as producers, making the debut a jointly produced work and at the same time an introduction to Fell’s artistic vision in album format. The accompanying material describes the record as immersive, uncompromising, and beautiful. These are the value judgments of the provided material, not conclusions from an independent review, but they convey the ambition with which the project is introduced.
For a debut album, the most distinctive feature is the decision to let personal history take a direct place in the music. The combination of an opera-inspired reference frame, influences from contemporary classical music, and a father’s compositions gives Tremble, rejoice, my tongue’s harvest a clear conceptual core. The presentation is built not only on an unusual set of sources of inspiration, but on the relationship between these influences and the family dedication that takes musical shape in “Evig”.
