By Jónas Sen.

The singer Bríet performed a festive concert at Silfurberg in Harpa on Sunday evening. She has a wonderful voice, both clear and resonant. She also sang with feeling, clearly pouring her soul into the performance. However, it wasn’t quite enough. Her singing style was peculiar—it was almost as if Bríet never fully opened her mouth when singing. Consonants were soft and indistinct, and at times, it seemed as though she were singing through her nose. The result was that it was difficult to understand much of what she sang. Consequently, the meaning of the songs—of which there were many—was largely lost.

Similar Songs
The music itself was decent, generally in a ballad style and rather introspective. However, the songs were somewhat similar, rarely surprising, and lacked much emotional height. There was also little variety in the arrangements performed by the five-piece band. Occasionally, the cello added a touch of atmosphere, but overall, there was little noteworthy about the band’s performance.

The sound quality was mostly excellent during the concert. The balance between the instruments and vocals was impressive. However, at the beginning, Bríet’s voice had a kind of distortion, which might have been an intentional stylistic choice. It sounded like there was a buzzing in the speakers, which wasn’t pleasant. Fortunately, this issue was resolved quickly.

Special Guests
Several guests performed alongside Bríet. First on stage was Högni Egilsson, who played the piano while singing wonderfully. His singing was warm and soothing, with every word clearly articulated. Ásgeir Trausti also performed, singing in his characteristic falsetto, which was enjoyable, as was the performance by Valdimar and Birnir, both of whom delivered flawlessly.

A children’s choir dressed in white robes joined Bríet for a few songs. Their singing was pure and confident, but somewhat restrained. One wonders why the choir wasn’t utilized more. Their contribution was so subdued that it might have been improved with a higher volume in the sound mix.

Ragga Gísla, however, stole the show with a wild rock number. Although I’ve heard her sing delicately before, this time she went all out. It might have been the highlight of the concert.

Low Energy at the Concert
The overall experience was underwhelming. There was never much energy or excitement. The audience typically clapped politely after each song, and occasional cheers felt more like gestures of courtesy. No one stood up to dance. It felt more like a formal chamber music concert.

This was despite the concert being quite a spectacle. For instance, Bríet’s entrance was memorable. She wore a black dress and an enormous black cape, which she half-danced with during the first songs. The lighting was also striking, and the costumes were elegant. Unfortunately, none of this was enough to elevate the concert beyond mediocrity.

Conclusion:
A lackluster concert hindered by peculiar singing and unremarkable music.

Bríet hosted a festive concert at Silfurberg in Harpa on Sunday, December 8, at 6:00 PM.