Three evening songs in concerts with Musica in the spring 2012

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Good morning 2012, you seem to become a joyful year!

In March, April, May and June 2012 the Copenhagen based chamber choir Musica presents five concerts featuring music by the great Danish baroque composer Mogens Pedersøn and a set of completely new pieces by my fellow composers Bjarke Moe, John Erik Ekberg and myself.

My new compositions presented in this concert series are “Three evening songs” (“Tre aftensange”) to lyrics from the Danish book of Hymns. These three choral pieces state a comment to the great tradition of motets in three different historical connections.

The first one “O Jesus, Morgenstjerne” is stressing the baroque polyphony but you’ll probably find the tonality quite modern.

In the second “Vær du mig nær” we are in the late romantic period, not far from the exalted expression of an early Rued Langgaard.

The last one “Op dog, Sion! ser du ej” is a sort of post Laubian tribute, a new melody I’ve composed to the well known text and put into a regular neo classical four part mixed choral setting.

I’m looking forward to the concerts in March, April, May and June. These lovely choiristers are doing such a great job! This link goes to the concert dates. Go listen if you can!

“Forvaltere af den Solbeskinnede Virkelighed” coming up in 2012

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Forvaltere af den Solbeskinnede Virkelighed will be performed again in March 29 at 7.30 PM in Sct. Matthæus Kirke.

I’m looking forward to once again hearing the piece played by Det Unge VokalEnsemble aka DUVE accompanied by Sct. Matthæus Kirke’s organist Karsten Jensen and the four noble brass players Klaus Bjørn Olsen, Jesper Sode Larsen, Martin Broensvang and Ian Price, who all together brought it to life one year earlier. Since last year Poul Emborg has taken over as conductor for DUVE, and I’m also looking forward to this new collaboration.

In Sct. Matthæus Kirke, which is the largest church on Copenhagen Vesterbro, we will benefit of the great acoustics and Karsten Jensen’s marvellous Starup organ from 1927. Here we will also make a new professional recording, kindly sponsored by the Danish Composers Association.

Listen beneath to the first performance of Forvaltere af den Solbeskinnede Virkelighed in Enghave Kirke, which took place in 2011 March 24. Read a review of the first performance her: Noget af en trosbekendelse! – Kirken i København. 

Carmina and the Ode to the Time

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Yet another chance to hear ‎Kammerkoret Carmina conducted by Kasper Beck Hemmingsen performing my choral piece Ode til tiden (Ode to the Time) in concert November 1 at Johannes Døbers Kirke in Valby, Copenhagen.

This choral composition was comitted by the chamber choir Aventura in 1999 as part of a millenium concert. As I thought it would be great to have a dedicated text to the composition I asked my friend and fellow composer and poet Kasper Nefer Olsen to write a poem for the purpose.

One week later Kasper returned to me with a completely new poem “Ode to the time which comes and dances” (Ode til tiden som kommer og danser), based on the ancient Sapphic Stanza. I brought the text with me to a small Finnish island, where I composed the choral piece at an old piano.

The video shows Carmina in concert October 20 at Absalons Kirke

At the concert in Johannes Døbers Kirke Carmina also sings choral pieces by Martin Palsmar, Maria Steinaa, Morten Poulsen, Thomas Løbger, John Ekberg and Timothy Baxter.

The concert takes place on November 1 at 8 PM in Johannes Døbers Kirke, , Trekronergade 3A, 2500 Valby. Free entrance.

Sol- og månebeskinnede – Spil Dansk Dagen

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I’m currently working on three new versions of “Forvaltere af den Solbeskinnede Virkelighed”.
First part – titled “Sol- og månebeskinnede” – of an a cappella version will be sung at Spil Dansk Dagen October 27 in Rådhuskælderen, Karlebo, by my choir Cantarellerne.

The other two versions are a four part choir and organ reduction of the complete mass and an easy to sing “Forvaltere af den Solbeskinnede Virkelighed – the Songbook” for voice and simple chords.

Cantarellerne

Cantarellerne, September 2011

Forvaltere af den Solbeskinnede Virkelighed – en messe til det skabte

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DET HAR VÆRET SKØNT at arbejde med Ursula Andkjær Olsens ord. Hendes tekst flyder i en intens og smuk rytme, og der er en naturlig fremdrift i sætningerne, som gør dem meget egnede til at blive sunget. Torsdag den 24. marts 2011 er der premiere på en ny messe til Folkekirken, som jeg har komponeret til en ny tekst, som Ursula har skrevet til dette værk.

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