bara…

for guitar

About

Bara (BEAH-rah) is a Faroese word that can mean “only” or “just,” yet it also carries a range of subtle implications. It can express hope, disappointment, solitude, and companionship. Phrases like bara eg (“just me”) and bara nú (“if only”) capture longing; bara vit (“just us”), connection; bara ikki (“anything but”), a hope that something will not happen; and ikki bara bara (“no small feat”), an acknowledgement of a challenge overcome.

In this piece, I wanted to explore how bara expresses both presence and absence at once. It invites you to inhabit that in-between space where ambiguous, mixed emotions live.

Acknowledgements

bara… was commissioned by Ólavur Jakobsen who premiered it on 18 October 2025 at Hátún, Tórshavn, the Faroe Islands.

Composition Year

2024

Duration

5′ 15″

Instrumentation

Guitar