Veni: Songs of Christmas, Vol. 2 The Norwegian Soloists' Choir & Grete Pedersen

• John Francis Wade (1711 - 1786): Adeste fideles (Arr. D. Willcocks, G. Pedersen & G. Larsen for Choir & Chamber Ensemble):
• 1Wade: Adeste fideles (Arr. D. Willcocks, G. Pedersen & G. Larsen for Choir & Chamber Ensemble)03:36
• Thomas Beck (1899 - 1963): Sæle jolekveld (Arr. Gjermund Larsen Trio for Chamber Ensemble):
• 2Beck: Sæle jolekveld (Arr. Gjermund Larsen Trio for Chamber Ensemble)03:14
• Charles Ives (1874 - 1954): 114 Songs:
• 3Ives: 114 Songs: No. 100, A Christmas Carol02:12
• Arne Modén: Kyrklåt (Arr. G. Larsen for Choir & Chamber Ensemble):
• 4Modén: Kyrklåt (Arr. G. Larsen for Choir & Chamber Ensemble)02:57
• Traditional: Me ska bryggja te jul (Arr. A. Utnem for Solo Voice, Choir & Chamber Ensemble):
• 5Traditional: Me ska bryggja te jul (Arr. A. Utnem for Solo Voice, Choir & Chamber Ensemble)01:55
• The Infant King (Arr. D. Willcocks & G. Pedersen for Solo Voice, Choir & Chamber Ensemble):
• 6Traditional: The Infant King (Arr. D. Willcocks & G. Pedersen for Solo Voice, Choir & Chamber Ensemble)04:26
• Ding Dong, Merrily on High (Arr. S. Carstensen, G. Larsen & S. Meisfjord for Violin, Accordion & Double Bass):
• 7Traditional: Ding Dong, Merrily on High (Arr. S. Carstensen, G. Larsen & S. Meisfjord for Violin, Accordion & Double Bass)02:05
• Den bortkomne sauen (Arr. G. Eriksson for 2 Solo Voices, Choir & Chamber Ensemble):
• 8Traditional: Den bortkomne sauen (Arr. G. Eriksson for 2 Solo Voices, Choir & Chamber Ensemble)03:29
• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750): Komm, Jesu, komm, BWV 229:
• 9Bach: Komm, Jesu, komm, BWV 229: I. Komm, Jesu, komm06:50
• 10Bach: Komm, Jesu, komm, BWV 229: II. Drum schließ ich mich in deine Hände01:20
• Traditional: Å her møter mangt (Arr. J. Rørmark & G. Pedersen for Solo Voice, Choir & Chamber Ensemble):
• 11Traditional: Å her møter mangt (Arr. J. Rørmark & G. Pedersen for Solo Voice, Choir & Chamber Ensemble)02:34
• William James Kirkpatrick (1838 - 1921): En krybbe var vuggen (Arr. A. Öhrwall & D. Willcocks for Choir & Chamber Ensemble):
• 12Kirkpatrick: En krybbe var vuggen (Arr. A. Öhrwall & D. Willcocks for Choir & Chamber Ensemble)03:40
• Traditional: Se, solens skjønne lys og prakt (Arr. G. Eriksson & T. Kverno for Solo Voice, Choir & Chamber Ensemble):
• 13Traditional: Se, solens skjønne lys og prakt (Arr. G. Eriksson & T. Kverno for Solo Voice, Choir & Chamber Ensemble)04:08
• Sondre Meisfjord (b. 1975), Marco Ambrosini (b. 1964): Carillion:
• 14Meisfjord, Ambrosini: Carillion01:41
• John Goss (1800 - 1880): Sjå i stille vinterkveld (Arr. D. Willcocks for Choir & Chamber Ensemble):
• 15Goss: Sjå i stille vinterkveld (Arr. D. Willcocks for Choir & Chamber Ensemble)03:42
• Traditional: Julestev:
• 16Traditional: Julestev00:53
• Deilig er jorden (Arr. T. Kvam for Choir & Chamber Ensemble):
• 17Traditional: Deilig er jorden (Arr. T. Kvam for Choir & Chamber Ensemble)03:36
• Gjermund Larsen (b. 1981): Gångmarsj:
• 18Larsen: Gångmarsj02:31
• Total Runtime54:49

Info for Veni: Songs of Christmas, Vol. 2

December is a time of anticipation. We wait and we hope – veni, come! The songs on this album encompass many nuances and moods – from joy and jubilant celebration to deep melancholy and longing. They move between folk tunes, English carols and traditional Christmas songs from different times and parts of the world, between Bach and Ives, Bulgaria and Norway. Several of the songs refer to the passing of the year, the cycle of nature and rhythms of daily life: lullabies for peace of mind and comfort, and songs about surrendering ourselves to the unfathomable and unknowable in the midst of our everyday concerns: the stars will always shine in the sky – and dawn will come. In others, we meet the little child born in a stable – vulnerable and yet immensely powerful.

In the nine years following the release of ‘Rós – Songs of Christmas’ [BIS-2029], the Norwegian Soloists’ Choir’s annual Christmas concerts under the leadership of Grete Pedersen have become a cherished tradition in their native country. They are joined on this recording by folk musicians Sondre Meisfjord and Marco Ambrosini and by their long-standing collaborator, the fiddler and composer Gjermund Larsen, who also appeared on the choir’s previous Christmas album.

The Norwegian Soloists' Choir
Grete Pedersen, conductor

Grete Pedersen
The Norwegian conductor Grete Pedersen is one of the most renowned conductors in the international choral scene. Since 1990 Grete Pedersen is Music Director of the Norwegian Soloists’ Choir whose recordings were awarded the ‘Choc de la Musique’ and the ‘Prix d'Or’ from Diapason. In 1984 she founded the Oslo Chamber Choir which she directed until 2004.

Grete Pedersen is a demanded guest conductor and has worked with the Eric Ericson Kammerchor, Schwedischen Rundfunkchor, Netherlands Radio Chor, Netherlands Chamber Choir, Danish National Vocal Ensemble and Choir, Rundfunkchor Berlin, Pro Coro Canada, Tokyo Cantat, World Youth Choir among others. Grede Pedersen participated with the Norwegian Soloists’ Choir in the project “150 psalms” at Early Music Festival Utrecht, New York and Brussels in 2017/18. Future highlights will see engagements with Chamber Choir Ireland, Stavanger Symphony, Slovenian Philharmonic Choir, Latvian Radio Choir, Netherlands Bach Society, Estonian Male Choir etc.

Pedersen's name stands for productions and stagings with wide stylistic variety. Her contrasting concert programmes are known to often be a rather radical mixture. In addition to premiering contemporary musical works, her efforts have increasingly been directed towards larger productions for choir and orchestra.

BIS Records has released numerous recordings by Grete Pedersen and the Norwegian Soloists Choir with works by Per Norgard, Kaija Saariaho, Iannis Xenakis, Helmut Lachenmann, Alfred Janson, J.S. Bach, Knut Nystedt, Alban Berg, Olivier Messiaen, Fartein Valen, Anton Webern, Johannes Brahms, Franz Schubert, Edvard Grieg and Norwegian Folk Music. For her latest recording with J.S. Bach Motets with the Norwegian Soloists‘ Choir and Ensemble Allegria Grete Pedersen was awarded a Diapason d’Or.

Booklet for Veni: Songs of Christmas, Vol. 2