The Nordic Choir Expedition –
Det Norske Solistkor: Sea of Voices

Thu. 1.6.2023 6 PM
Paavo Hall, Musiikkitalo, Helsinki
Tickets: 25/20/15 € from Ticketmaster

The Festival Pass to all four concerts 70/56/42 €,  from Ticketmaster.
Note! The Festival Pass also includes the concert at Kallio Church on 2.6.2023.

Det Norske Solistkor
Grete Pedersen, conductor

LARS JOHAN WERLE: Nautical Preludes
RICHARD STRAUSS: Der Abend
EVERT TAUBE: Inbjudan till Bohuslän
ALFRED JANSON: Tre dikt av Ebba Lindqvist
ARNE MELLNÄS: Havet
GÖSTA NYSTRÖM: Tre havsvisioner
STEVE MARTLAND:  Sea songs (excerpts)
GUNNAR ERIKSSON:  Glädjestranden (World premiere)

The wild, wonderful, mysterious ocean 
Throughout history, humans have been fascinated by, and drawn to, the ocean. Its sheer force, its riches and its beauty have inspired countless composers and lyricists. In this concert, The Norwegian Soloists' Choir and conductor Grete Pedersen present scintillating music with the ocean as its thematic hub. Interwoven with the music is poetry, read by Tomas van Brömssen, one of the most beloved actors of the Nordic countries.
    One of the central pieces of the concert is Sea Songs by Steve Martland. Martland was a dynamic force in British music, and composed across many different genres. This lively, minimalist piece depicts the lives of sailors, and tells of the dangers that await out at sea, and also of the companionship - and the worries of those who wait for the sailors at home. 
    The concert opens with Nautical Preludes, which follows a trade ship travelling the seven seas. Composer Lars Johan Werles had a blossoming of creativity when he started working with texts and voices, something Nautical Preludes shows clearly.  
    In Richard Strauss’ subdued Der Abend, we follow the last rays of sunshine as they illuminate the sea. Schiller’s beautiful text about the evening and the quiet of night, and about renewal and rebirth, is beautifully echoed in Strauss’ music.
    For us northerners, the ocean has special significance. The second part of the concert offers musical pearls revolving around this fact. We hear three Swedish composers, as well as Norwegian composer Alfred Janson’s Tre Dikt av Ebba Lindqvist (Three Poems by Ebba Lindqvist). Lindqvist’s expressive poetry also returns during one the concert’s centrepieces: The premiere of Gunnar Eriksson’s brand new work, set to the words of the poem Sargassohav. 
    The concert is a part of The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir’s project Et hav av stemmer (An Ocean of Voices). It includes concerts, recordings and musical meeting-places, all centered around life in the ocean, and our relationship to it.
The Norwegian Soloists' Choir is an innovative young ensemble, steeped in a rich history. As one of Europe's leading chamber choirs, they perform spectacular concerts in Norway and abroad, in concert halls and churches, in caravans and in abandoned factory venues. The Norwegian Soloists' Choir consists of 26 hand-picked, professional singers who have a tremendous ability to blend their voices, resulting in a highly distinctive choral expression. Along with its celebrated artistic leader Grete Pedersen, the choir achieves ambitious artistic goals through constant development.
 

 The Nordic Choir Expedition has received funding from the European Union
and the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Culture and Art Programme