Herder’s Herd

Herder’s Herd is the debut solo album of recorder player and versatile musician Juho Myllylä. Originally from Finland, but based in the Netherlands for the past decade, on Herder’s Herd Myllylä showcases his passion for the recorder and the endless possibilities of his family of instruments across new works written for him by six composers of the young generation from different countries.

The music on the album, played on ten different recorders from subgreatbass to sopranino with or without electronics, ranges from energetic and audacious to tranquil and serene, evoking enchantingly beautiful and at times even wild sound worlds.

Waves (For Juho Myllylä) by A. Crespo Barba, her immeasurable soul by Hildur Elísa Jónsdóttir, Herder’s Herd by Raivis Misjuns and Marsyas by Ernst Spyckerelle resulted from the Nieuwe Noten project in collaboration with Gaudeamus Festival, November Music and Grachtenfestival, where the program was premiered in 2023. In addition, the album features the deeply atmospheric works Orange, Blue and Pink by Arjan Linker and Faust’s Lullaby by Andrea Guterres.

Herder’s Herd is adorned with photography by Jesse Harrison which completes the work. Accompanying the listener through myriad expressive dimensions of the recorder, Herder’s Herd invites the listener on a one-hour sonic journey that is both reflective and adventurous.

Juho Myllylä: Herder’s Herd
7 Mountain Records
7MNTN-058
Release: 28 February 2025