IT WAS ONLY TEMPORARY…

It was the spring of 2001 when I was asked to great joy and deep satisfaction. Being grant- fill in as choral director for a tour to Japan with ed the confidence to gather voices in order to the Svanholm Singers. Had I known this would create music in a context where one and all lead to 17 years with the same choir, I might are there of their own free will, because they even have said no. As intimidating as such a want to, that is – and has been – a great honour. prospect would seem, it was also impossible When it comes to the repertoire for men’s to fathom how much the Svanholm Singers choirs, there isn’t a whole lot to choose from would come to mean to me. - there simply haven’t been as many men’s It’s been 17 years filled with rehearsals, con- choirs around and not as much music has certs, tours, recording sessions and competi- been created with them in mind. tions. Roughly estimating, I’ve spent nearly a In the mid- to late 1800s, there was a golden year’s worth of time in transit with the mem- age for men’s choirs in Sweden by way of our bers of the choir – we’ve appeared in Sweden, universities, which means that most of our Denmark, the Faeroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, country’s repertoire originated during that Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, England, Germa- period. It is certainly an interesting challenge ny, France, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, the for artistic directors to establish a repertoire Czech Republic, Poland, Japan, Taiwan and that is timely, moving, and that deals with China. Over the years, 90 or so individuals issues that are important to us today. have passed through the choir; contributing Over the years, I’ve composed a great deal their time, being generous with their voices of our material, but we’ve also had commis- and musicality, and so open to sharing their sioned pieces. This disc includes a selection thoughts and feelings with each other as well. of these works created with our choir in mind, There have been moments of stress, jangled the Svanholm Singers Exclusive. nerves, and anger, but many more occasions of Sofia Söderberg BADHUSINTRO (WATER PARK INTRO) TWO SWEDISH FOLK TUNES: LIMU LIMU LIMA & HÅRGALÅTEN

In 2013, the Högevallsbadet water park in Swedish folk tunes are a well-established ficed to the sun god. The original lyrics were Lund was extensively remodelled and the feature of the vocal repertoire of amateurs ”Låva låva lin, Gudt ladt sole skinn” (Roughly: Svanholm Singers were asked to perform and professionals alike. They are also dear “Prepare the flax for linen, God let the sun at the reopening event. The venue was the to the Svanholm Singers. Many four-part ar- shine”), but when this no longer made sense, swimming pool area, which was a novel expe- rangements, all in the flowing yet still rather the words were changed, and the song lived on rience for us and I wanted to make use of its set style of the day, date back to this period in a new context. This arrangement of mine for potential. I stood at one end of the pool, and from around 1850 through Hugo Alfvén’s con- the Svanholm Singers in 2011 was published by the singers were positioned on or between the siderable 20th-century production. Bo Ejeby förlag. starting blocks at the opposite end. A soloist Personally, I find folk tunes very moving, was perched up on the high dive. I opened there’s something natural about the melodies HÅRGALÅTEN out with some traditional Swedish “kulning”, and they have things to say about our history. which also gave the choir their notes. After In addition, since they are the product of not A dance was held in Hårga. An unfamiliar singing this intro, they all dived into the pool in merely a single hand, but stem from many musician with burning eyes under a large dark a synchronized fashion. The soloist on the high hearts, they are an expression of collectivism hat stepped out of the shadows and began dive took over and the number was rounded at its best. playing hypnotic tunes. Soon, everyone was off by the choir serenading as they were I have arranged many for choral groups, dancing except one girl, who tried to stop the floating in the water. moving away from the traditional four-part others, but once you had joined in, it was im- This intro has been adapted to suit other harmonies throughout and adding contrasting possible to stop. At dawn, the fiddler left, and contexts as well. The version on this CD has rhythmic elements, which is also central to all a long line of dancers followed in his wake as an interlude that wasn’t in the original, which kinds of folk music. the church bells rang for Sunday service. Only is often used as an underscore with an initial one girl remained, the one who had noticed spoken portion. LIMU LIMU LIMA that the fiddler had cloven hooves instead of feet. The wild dancing continued until all that Sofia Söderberg “Limu limu lima” was recorded in Älvdalen in remained of the dancers were their skeletons. the mid-1800s. The origin of the melody and Some claim that if you venture out to Mount the lyrics are unknown. Some theories say Hårga when the moon is full, the devil’s music though the song was sung during the middle still echoes out over the countryside. ages as a prayer to the Mother Mary, it dates back to pagan times, when flax was sacri- Sofia Söderberg SERENAD

In Sweden, men’s choirs have strong ties to When I joined the Svanholm Singers as a reg- the Universities. It’s hardly a coincidence that ular choral director in 2001, I was determined the Svanholm Singers originated in Lund, one to not follow in the footsteps of the traditional of our oldest university towns. male university choirs – I wished to do some- My own relationship with men’s choirs de- thing new and different. veloped at an early age. I was born and raised All new ensembles face certain challenges in Lund. My maternal grandfather accompa- on the way to getting established, but they nied the Lund University Male Voice Choir on have the advantage of not being pressured to piano, and songs from their repertoire were maintain any particular traditions. In spite of often sung at my grandparents’ parties. wanting to explore other routes, the traditional For 30 years, my mother presented the choir songs are close to my heart, and in 2015, I in- when they officially heralded spring on the troduced a few adaptations and new interpre- steps of Lund University every May 1st, con- tations of certain classic songs. We performed certs that were broadcast on radio and TV. On them as a tribute to the returning of the light one such occasion, my mother was pregnant at our spring concert that same year. One AMAZING GRACE / AKATONBO with me – so I can literally say that I was born such adaptation is “Serenad”, by Jacob Axel into the world of men’s choirs. Josephsson (1818–1880). The Svanholm Singers have toured Japan six floors in houses with rice-paper walls, and This May Day repertoire is always the same. Sofia Söderberg times. The first tour, to Takarazuka for a com- enjoyed culinary delicacies. And quite a petition in 1999, was so enjoyable that the bonding experience it was too for the choir. choir made sure they could return two years In 2013, we were invited yet again. On Minon’s, later. This second tour was my first, and we our agent’s, wish list of Western highlights made contact with an agent who helped us was “Amazing Grace”, and the idea arose to arrange three professional tours over the arrange it along with the beloved Japanese course of three years. In total, we spent 12 tune “Akatonbo”. This arrangement has come weeks in Japan and held concerts through- to represent our gratitude for our many tours out the country, from Sapporo to the north, to to Japan along with our great fondness for the Okinawa to the south. We had sold-out perfor- country and for the wonderful encounters we mances at fantastic venues, met wonderful have had. people and saw amazingly beautiful places. Sofia Söderberg We bathed in hot springs, slept on bamboo PEACE IT IS SO PEACEFUL HERE NOW

In 2008, I was honoured to be commissioned I decided to base my new piece on this tune In my early 20s, I had an encounter with an into a clear, dark vision, which felt more and to compose original music for the World and arranged it for a men’s choir singing in unknown presence, an apparition shaped more compelling and urgent the further I de- Symposium on Choral Music, which was to parts. There are two verses, and I sandwiched a like a human that slowly moved throughout voted myself to the task. be held in Copenhagen. I explored if it were contrasting interlude in-between them: Wilfred my room. It was an old attic, and the visitor When I wrote the lyrics, I tried to do it in a possible to submit a piece for a men’s choir Owen’s “The Next War”, a sharply satirical poem seemed familiar with it and appeared to timeless style, as if the words had been tran- and the musical director of the festival, Steen about war that ends with a breath of hope for examine my belongings. scribed by a monk – in a chiselled manner, Lindholm, told me that one of the finest men’s peace. I could hear my heart pounding, and I held with a steady gaze and a calm voice. In the choirs in the world would be participating, the The finished piece begins with Hopkins’s my breath as it finally headed towards me. One piece, we are transported to a future where Svanholm Singers. I found this highly inspira- poem set to music, followed by a longer inter- meter away from the bed, it stopped, gazed at mankind has driven itself to extinction. Yet tional. lude with contrasting music inspired by Owen’s me for a while, then turned away and moved the burned soil summons our souls back, for At the time, I had already been tinkering with “The Next War”, which is full of contrasts and towards the door -– whereupon I quickly us to see what we have done. We behold our a simple melody based on the Gerard Manley evokes marching music and piercing fanfares. turned the light on. At that time, I didn’t be- ravaged planet as the desert wind swirls our Hopkins poem “Peace”, that had evolved into The conclusion is a return to the poem “Peace”, lieve in – nor had the slightest interest in - “the dust across the face of the earth. And we cry, a piece for “a singing percussionist”: Voice and with music that is now somewhat slower and other side” and did my best to put the experi- despite being unable to shed tears. two tubular bells. more richly evolved tonally. ence behind me. Nevertheless, I was unable to Much like many people feel today, the lyrics “Peace” is an innocent expression of longing I am honoured that “Peace” is now part of the forget the episode. illustrate how difficult it is to face up to our for God, and for God and mankind to be united Svanholm Singers’ repertoire and that it was Today we are overwhelmed by a never-end- own behaviour. The music follows the course in peace. The music itself is devotional in char- recorded for their anniversary album. ing stream of reports about how our planet is of the lyrics, sometimes neutrally descriptive, acter, uncontrived and simple, much in the suffering. Since the rules for the Svanholm sometimes reflecting the emotions of all hu- Peter Bruun manner of a hymn. Singers Competition Award stipulated that the mankind about that fact that we are both vic- lyrics should be relevant to our time, my con- tims and perpetrators. cern for our planet has been mingled with the Christian Engquist memories of my peculiar visitor. They merged SON TO MOTHER CLOSE TO HOME

In 2017, I was commissioned by the Svanholm posite of silence – a scream of desperation – I In 2017, the piece “Close to Home” was this declaration was adopted by the United Singers to write a work for inclusion in a followed that outburst by cutting the poem’s composed and also premiered in Chateauroux, Nations 70 years ago. concert marking 70 years since the proc- stanzas into single words, repeated in a differ- France, where I was a member of the choir on It all begins with you and me. At work. At lamation of the Universal Declaration of ent order each time, almost in the manner of a this occasion. school. At play. That’s when the real work is Human Rights. Choosing a text was difficult. mantra. Portions of the Universal Declaration of done. Between people who meet eye-to-eye I came across upon a poem by Maya Angelou, Finally, they end up in the right order and sud- Human Rights were recited as an intro, first in in an everyday context. Only then can we truly but it struck me as being too powerful and denly the words take on their rightful meaning. English and then in French. The French version make our world a better place. emotional for the music I was writing to carry I hope, in this way, the music is equal powerful was interrupted by a voice shouting “Sacrilège!” The lyrics are extracts from the speech given it; everything I composed sounded banal next to as the words. After the concert was over, we realised that by Eleanor Roosevelt in connection with this Angelou’s words. Son to Mother has been well-received and this protest occurred directly following on the declaration, which she also wrote extensive I soon realized that I could use silence to en- has gone on to become one of my most widely words that these rights applied regardless of portions of. hance the text, rather than heaping layers and performed pieces. It has been performed at var- gender or sexual preference. To me, this was Emil Fredberg layers of music upon it. Silence is both terrify- ious festivals and in various countries, includ- a reminder that the UN declaration was not ing and serious – in a sense, it is the only ade- ing Taiwan, France and China – where it only self-evident to one and all, even in this day quate counterpoint to the poetry. just made it past the government censors. and age. That we need to continue to spread So, I decided to build the piece on silence. the word of equal rights and dignity. That this Henrik Dahlgren Though the beginning of the piece is the op- task was not accomplished simply because FRENCH CATHEDRAL SONG: SALVE REGINA AVE MARIA & KYRIE The votive antiphon “Salve Regina” is the first In the summer of 2011, the Svanholm Singers piece commissioned for the Svanholm Singers. were invited to tour France. One of the It was completed by the renowned Norwegian concerts was held at Avignon, a former composer Knut Nystedt in the spring of 1999. papal seat in Provence. We shared the stage Knut Nystedt was an Oslo-based organist who with Hans Hellsten, a renowned Swedish also taught choral direction at Oslo University. organist, and when he said that he would like He founded Schola Cantorum and Det Norske to do an improvisation on a Gregorian Ave Solistkor is known around the world for his Maria, I penned this version for the choir, so choral music. This piece was dedicated to the the singers could present the themes Hans Svanholm Singers and its founder and now Hellsten based his improvisation on. former choral director Eva Bohlin. In October In 2017, we were once again invited to 1999, Salve Regina premiered at the Lund France. Throughout that year, we had focused Cathedral with Knut Nystedt as conductor. on the 70th anniversary of the Universal Dec- Sofia Söderberg laration of Human Rights. Two of the tracks on this CD, “Close to home” and “Son to Mother” were commissioned for this anniversary, and the lyrics were chosen to reflect aspects founds in the declaration. Since all our concerts throughout that tour were held in large cathedrals, we seized the opportunity to include a few Gregorian hymns to create a nice contrast to the more austere modern harmonies of other pieces. Our 2011 version of “Ave Maria” was returned to our rep- ertoire along with a Kyrie. Sofia Söderberg HÄRLIG ÄR JORDEN

In 2015, three friends and I founded the Earth concerts for our planet and more than 1,000 Choir 2016 project. Our vision was that choirs singers took part. all over the world would hold concerts and I wrote this version of “Härlig är jorden” sing about climate change and the challenge (also known in English as “Beautiful Sav- humankind faces. We created a concept based iour”) for the Svanholm Singers’ Earth Choir on poems by Tiina Meri, with lyrics that dealt concert. This piece builds on three different with Mother Earth, our oceans and seas, our musical elements and it spans three verses. soil, our harvests, our water, our woodlands, The first verse and element is a harmonizing the animals we share the planet with and the of the well-known hymn “Härlig är jorden”. air we breathe. The second verse and element contains ex- Choirs would use these lyrics in their con- cerpts of the speech given by Chief Seattle certs and choose music that suited their en- to an American governor in 1854; a very pow- semble. Since all cultures have songs that erful speech where the White Man is urged praise nature, I pictured that these concerts to respect the Red man, the land they live on could be performed in several different lan- and the animals they share it with. The third guages, depending on the location. Our web- and final element features words used in the site, a platform of sorts for the project, listed Church of Sweden funeral service that I’ve the participants. always found so moving: “Oh, Lord and creator, It was difficult to administrate all this on please give us hearts that are wise, so we may a global scale, and we were all working on a acknowledge the brevity of life and welcome volunteer basis, but in 2016, choirs from eight each new day as a gift.” different countries and three continents gave Sofia Söderberg Ty en spelman kom som snodde vettet om, Kokago ni tsunda wa maboroshi ka That piecemeal peace is poor peace BADHUSINTRO och ingen makt motstod hans bockfotstakt! Jûgo de nêya wa yome ni yuki, What pure peace allows Music & solo: Sofia Söderberg Se’n dess ej ro finnes i Hanebo, Osato no tayori mo taehateta Alarms of wars, the daunting wars, ty man kan aldrig sluta upp att dansa! Yûyake koyake no akatonbo - the death of it? LIMU, LIMU, LIMA Klockorna hade ringt i dalen Tomatte iru yo, sao no saki Out there, we’ve walked Bo Ejeby Förlag och där gick far och mor och bror till quite friendly up to Death, Traditional arr: Sofia Söderberg sockenkyrkan SERENAD Sat down and eaten with him, cool and bland, Limu, limu, lima, Gud låt solen skina Var kan nu Hårgas ungdom vara? Based on Jacob Axel Josephsson Serenad from 1852 Pardoned his spilling mess-tins in our hand Över bergena blå, över kullorna små Å herregud de dansar ännu! Music: Sofia Söderberg We’ve sniffed the green som i skogen ska gå om sommaren thick odour of his breath, Då dansen gick på äng och backar, Stjärnor, stjärnorna, Our eyes wept, but our courage didn’t writhe högt upp på Hårgaåsens topp tindra, tindra re’n, He’s spat at us with bullets and he’s coughed HÅRGALÅTEN Man slet ut båd skor och klackar, högt på himmelen, Shrapnel. We chorussed when he sang aloft, Traditional arr: Sofia Söderberg aldrig fick man på dansen stopp jorden, jorden är stilla, Soloists Adam Eliasson, Erik Annertz, We whistled while he shaved us with his scythe Varför kan aldrig dansen ända? vinden har somnat, Johannes Hansen & Adam Leckius Varför slutar aldrig dansen? sakta, stilla, somnat Oh, Death was never enemy of ours! Varför kan aldrig dansen ända? Förs du vid drömmars hand We laughed at him, we leagued with him, Varför slutar aldrig dansen? fjärran till min längtans land, old chum Dansen går, aldrig slutar dansen! AMAZING GRACE / AKATONBO hör du min röst? No soldier’s paid to kick against His powers Dansen nu högt uppå Hårgas topp! Rofū Miki & Kosaku Yamada (Akatonbo) Här vill jag kalla dig, We laughed, knowing that Dansen nu och spel opp! Text & music John Newton (Amazing Grace) säg, vill du följa mig, better men would come, Arr: Sofia Söderberg ljuva, ljuvaste tröst? And greater wars: when each Spelmannen drog fiol’n ur lådan Soloists Adam Leckius & Sofia Söderberg och lyfte stråken högt mot söndagsolens kula proud fighter brags Då blev det fart på Hårgafolket Amazing grace! How sweet the sound PEACE He wars on Death, for lives; not men, for flags de glömde Gud och hela världen that saved a wretch like me O surely, reaving Peace, I once was lost, but now am found, Text: Gerard Manley Hopkins & Wilfred Owens Music: Peter Bruun my Lord should leave in lieu Då dansen gick på äng och backar was blind, but now I see Some good! And so he does högt upp på Hårgaåsens topp ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, When will you ever, Peace, wild wooddove, leave Patience exquisite, Man slet ut båd skor och klackar and grace my fears relieved shy wings shut, That plumes to Peace thereafter aldrig fick man på dansen stopp How precious did that grace appear Your round me roaming end, And when Peace here does house Varifrån kommer du som spelar, the hour I first believed and under be my boughs? He comes with work to do, säg vem har lärt dig detta spel, det vilda galna? When, when, Peace, will you, Peace? he does not come to coo, Yûyake-koyake no akatonbo I’ll not play hypocrite Stannar du inte brister hjärtat, Owarete mitano wa itsu no hi ka He comes to brood and sit å Gud bevare, han har bockfot! To own my heart: I yield you do come Yama no hatake no kuwa no mi o sometimes; but sweeping our dust from hill to hill IT IS SO PEACEFUL HERE NOW We chased it but could no longer run CLOSE TO HOME AVE MARIA Gehrmans Musikförlag We touched it but could no longer grasp Text Eleanor Roosevelt Based on gregorian theme Text & music Christian Engquist Music Emil Fredberg Music: Sofia Söderberg And we cried a tearless cry Soloist Simon Persson It is so peaceful here now, that could no longer be heard In the course of history, as if we never were As we stood there in sorrow, We are where universal human rights begin Ave Maria, gratia plena. As if we never saw and never shut our eyes we once again heard the words: In the small places... Close to home Dominus tecum, As if we never woke and never went to sleep ”Go and stain the earth with grief, There comes a time when humanity benedicta tu in mulieribus, As if we never fell, immersed into darkness with grief alone” is called to a shift. et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus. The world had never witnessed And so again we started to go, and we stained The places where every woman, Sancta Maria, Mater Dei a greater dethronement the earth with grief, with grief alone man and child ora pro nobis peccatoribus How strange it was to return Wherever we came, sighs ascended from the Seeks equal justice - equal dignity nunc et in hora mortis, nostrae As we saw the desolate land we said: burned ground without discrimination Amen ”We who were living are now dead” Sighs of relief, as if a heavy burden To a new level of consciousness, And from nowhere and everywhere had been taken away To reach a higher moral ground. we heard a murmur of lamentation: It is so peaceful here now, as if we never were We shall look in vain for progress SALVE REGINA ”Go and stain the earth with grief, in the larger world. Norsk Musikforlag with grief alone” That time is now Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiae, We started to walk along the sandy road and SON TO MOTHER vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve! we left no footprints Copyright © 2017 Bo Ejeby Förlag (STIM) and Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Hevae, Caged Bird Legacy (ASCAP) KYRIE We crossed the dead mountains and heard no Based on gregorian theme ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes echoes from our voices Text Maya Angelou Music Henrik Dahlgren Music: Sofia Söderberg in hac lacrimarum valle. We strayed over endless plains and cracked Soloist Emil Fredberg Soloist Emil Fredberg Eia, ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos earth, and we left no traces misericordes oculos ad nos converte; I start no wars, Kyrie Eleison ”Who calls to mind our summers and our et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, raining poison on cathedrals, Christe Eleison youth?” we asked nobis post hoc exilium ostende. melting Stars of David into golden faucets Kyrie Eleison ”Who sings a song that tells about our fate?” O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria. to be lighted by lamps shaded by human skin But there was only a soft rustle of air and ashes They say you took my manhood, Momma The desert wind made commemoration of us Come sit on my lap and tell me, with its dry psalm, what do you want me to say to them, just before I annihilate their ignorance? COMPOSER BIOGRAFIES

SOFIA SÖDERBERG (b. 1972) is a trained organist Men’s Voices, which was appointed “album of and cellist but is most well-known as a the year” by Gramophone magazine; and Fin- choral conductor. Her bold interpretations, ra- gerprints, which was released by Naxos and zor-sharp intonation, and engaging presence is Volume 3 of their series with the Swedish have earned her numerous awards and honors Choral Society. worldwide. Sofia has been Chorus Master at Malmö PETER BRUUN (b. 1968) is a Danish composer. Opera, and she has been a conductor and His works feature an overarching ambition: vocal soloist at Skånes Dansteater, Teater Faith in the potential of finding new paths Insite and Operaverkstan Malmö. As of 2001, when working with melodies, harmony and she is the artistic director and conductor of tonality. Peter Bruun is always trying out the internationally renowned ensemble Svan- new forms, media and modes of expression. holm Singers. In 2010, she was selected artist Several works, by virtue of their scale forms of the year at Lund Choral International Festi- and rhythmic profile, evoke the music of other val. From 2015 to 2017, Sofia was the artistic di- cultures – the kind occasionally referred to as rector and conductor of the Malmö Live Vocal oriental or ethnic music. Ensemble, and it was in this context she also Musical theater plays a major role in Peter HÄRLIG ÄR JORDEN conducted Malmö Symphony Orchestra for Bruun’s work. He is a member of the artist Text: Bernhard Severin Ingemann/Cecilia Bååth Varje del av denna jord är helig, the first time. In May 2017, she made her debut collective FIGURA Ensemble, and he also Holmberg (Härlig är jorden) & Noah Sealth and excerpts vart glänsande tallbarr, varje sandkorn på with the Swedish Radio Choir by conducting runs the music education project Small from The Swedish Funeral Mass stranden, two concerts at Berwaldhallen in Stockholm, Composers. Soloists Martin Olsson & Emil Fredberg dimman i den mörka skogen, varje plats, varje Sweden, and as of April 2018, she is artistic Härlig är jorden, härlig är Guds himmel, surrande insekt director and conductor of the Danish Cham- CHRISTIAN ENGQUIST (b. 1979) As a composer, skön är själarnas pilgrimsgång Marken hör inte människan till ber Choir Camerata in Copenhagen. Christian Engquist moves fluidly between a Genom de fagra riken på jorden Människan hör till marken Sofia Söderberg composes and arranges wide range of music genres and has written gå vi till paradis med sång Alla varelser hör tillsammans, allt skapat har original music published by Gehrmans Musik- music for film, stage plays, and opening ett sammanhang Hur kan någon köpa eller sälja skyn över oss? förlag and Bo Ejeby Förlag in Sweden, and events. As a singer, he performs regularly with jordens värme? O Herre Gud, du som har skapat oss, by Walton Music in the USA. Two high-lights the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir as well as the Och om vi inte äger luften eller vattnets ge oss alla visa hjärtan, of her CD production are Tormis: Works for Swedish Radio Choir and he has released a CD. glans, hur kan vi då sälja den? så att vi inser livets korthet, och tar emot varje dag som en ny gåva EMIL FREDBERG (b. 1993) is a composer and rapidly shifting musical currents. In addition, musician from Abbekås, near Ystad. In 2018, Mr. Nystedt founded Det Norske Solistkor he graduated from the Malmö Academy of (The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir) and Schola Music. During his years at the academy he Cantorum. With unfailing artistry, he showed also found time to compose for the Malmö a remarkable ability to adapt essential new Symphony Orchestra, Helsingborg Symphony discoveries to his own, highly personal, style, Orchestra and, not least, Svanholm Singers. which is rich in colors and, at the same time, His top influences include Tormis, Ravel and delicately nuanced. A composer of music for Mahler, but other genres appeal to him as well. virtually all kinds of instrumentations, Knut In addition to classical music, Emil Fredberg Nystedt is recognized world-wide as a key is also a fan of jazz, an interest showcased by composer of choral and church music. Fredbergs Orkester, a jazz octet that can be found on Spotify. THE SINGERS HENRIK DAHLGREN (b. 1991) is a Swedish composer who studied at the Malmö Academy of Music and at London’s Royal College TENORS BASSES of Music. Mr. Dahlgren began his musical Aaron Lindström Adam Leckius career as a drummer, and moved between Adam Eliasson Björn Alwerud various styles and genres ever since, both Emil Fredberg Björn Härstedt as a musician and as a composer/arranger. Erik Annertz Björn Larsson His main focus is on choral music and he Henrik Dahlgren Hannes Persson has worked with Svanholm Singers, Vocal Art Markus Nilsson Henning Hansen Ensemble of Sweden, Helsingborg Symphony Simon Persson Johannes Hansen Orchestra, USC Thornton School of Music Steven Hansen John Rausér Porsback Chamber Singers, to name a few. Henrik Dahl- Øyvind Nørregård Martin Olsson gren’s music is published by Gehrmans Musik- Simon Bergström förlag and Bo Ejeby Förlag. Simon Kindvall KNUT NYSTEDT (1915–2014) studied with, among others, Aaron Copland. Mr. Nystedt was organist at the Torshov Church in Oslo and taught choir conducting at the University of Oslo. He held a central position throughout a long period of Recorded in Marsvinsholm’s Church, June 8-10, 2018. Recorded at 96 kHz with Pyramix workstation and Horus/Hapi high resolution ADs. Recording producer and engineer, Per Sjösten (www.sound.se) Mixed and mastered at Sound Processing Studio. Mastered for iTunes by Per Sjösten. Text editing by Karin Ekedahl Translations by Ingrid Eng Photography Nils Sjöholm & Bel Canto Choir Vilnius / Gabrielius Jauniškis Cover and layout Johannes Hansen Executive producer: Per Sjösten footprintrecords.com