THE FIRST VERSION OF THE SONG
The song Eitt dýpi av dýrari tíð (A Chasm of Precious Time) was one of the most popular songs on the album NALJA featuring Elin Brimheim Heinesen and Kåre Linderoth Jacobsen. The album was released the first time as an MC in 1988 and re-released on CD in 1998 by the record company TUTL on the Faroe Islands. The music was recorded in Bløndal Studio in Copenhagen in 1988. Elin Brimheim Heinesen wrote and arranged the track Eitt dýpi av dýrari tíð.
SHE LEFT HIM AND BEAUTIFUL ART WAS CREATED
Elin’s father, the Faroese author Jens Pauli Heinesen, wrote the lyrics to the song back in 1953 – at only 21 years old. At that time he was engaged to a young lady called Kirstin. He was quite sure that she was the one and that they were going to marry. But after having been a couple for two years, she suddenly left him for one of his best friends.
His heart was broken. So he sat down to write a poem. You would think he would write a poem about being unhappily in love, but no. He wrote about how precious life is and how much life is worth living in spite of challenges and misfortune. He wrote essentially about hope. Perhaps to comfort himself, but nevertheless – an impressively deep and beautiful poem was created, which today is one of the most beloved song lyrics in the Faroe Islands. Many people find it unbelievable that such a young man could write something so profound and insightful.
Here is Jens Pauli Heinesen at the time when he wrote the poem Eitt dýpi av dýrari tíð:
THE SONG IN A NEW SYMPHONIC VERSION
The 10. and the 17. November 2002 a TV documentary in two parts was broadcasted for the first time in the Faroese national television. The documentary about the author and the man Jens Pauli Heinesen was made by Gulla Øregaard as a tribute to him on his 70 years birthday the 12. November 2002.
In the making of the documentary a new version of the song Eitt dýpi av dýrari tíð was made. Gulla Øregaard managed to get the symphonic recordings financed, and Elin contacted the Danish film composer Søren Hyldgaard who helped with making the arrangements for symphony orchestra and a mens choir. The music was recorded partly in Prague with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra under the conduction of Mario Klemens – and partly in Tórshavn with the Tórshavn Men’s Choir under the conduction of Bjarni Restorff and with Elin Brimheim Heinesen as a vocal soloist.
This last symphonic version of the song has been released two times – the first time in 2003 on a Faroese compilation CD called Popp List 2, published by 3’arin and the second time on another Faroese compilation CD with Faroese female artists only, published as an introductory gift to people who subscribe to the Faroese womens magazine ‘Kvinna’. This CD was released the first time in November 2004.
The symphonic version was re-released in November 2023 on the album of the same title – Eitt dýpi av dýrari tíð – in an updated mix and mastering.
See also Elin’s DISCOGRAPHY.
