Fred over jorden (Peace to the World)
Uranienborg Vokalensemble/Elisabeth Holte
Kjetil Bjerkestrand, Øystein Moen (synthesizers)
Torun Torbo (flute)
Henriette Viktoria Eide Skagen (organ)
rec. 2024, Uranienborg Church, Norway
2L 2L-179-SABD [60]
“The world around us is full of darkness. Wars are being fought. People are fleeing from their homes. Children are dying. Thousands of people lack food and medicine. Our prayers are for peace. We sing ‘Beautiful is our Earth! Glorious is God’s heaven!’ as a protest song for peace and justice, the world being unjust.” These are the powerful words that open the booklet notes for this release and, while their tone might initially seem to stand at odds with the often gentle and introvert music in this programme you can also ask, what else is a musician to do in the midst of such a world?
This is in essence a ‘Christmas’ album, with traditional carols standing alongside well-known music in entirely new arrangements, though it is the kind of recording you can of course bring out at any time of year, though maybe not in midsummer. Norwegian seasonal songs will inevitably be less familiar elsewhere and so we’re already steering clear of cliché for most of us, but this will be a refreshing listen even for locals. It is more the unmistakable atmosphere of the season that you take away from this album rather than a collection of singalong hits.
There are of course a capella settings such as Jeg synger julekvad, which is a Norwegian version of In dulci jubilo with some juicy extra harmonies and a nice organ entry for a rousing conclusion. This melts into a lovely version of Det hev ei rose sprunge (Es ist ein Ros entsprungen). More unusually the voices are joined by synthesizers, in this case adding a haunting, almost hidden countermelody above the voices. These subtle brushstrokes are in a few instances exchanged for colourful accompaniments, such as for the Swedish carol O jul med din glede, which provides light contrast in both its lively spirit and ‘Disney film’ character. Electronic sounds can easily become a timbral or stylistic step too far in such a recording, but the balances are always effective here and the chosen effects are appropriate and not too far beyond the traditional in character. These keyboards certainly add profundity of atmosphere to Kjetil Bjerkestrand’s remarkable Lacrimosa though, ironically, they do sail close to sentimentality later on in the tinkly chimes that open the 1950s Bjørn Eidsvåg carol I en natt (On a clear night).
A particular highlight is Deilig er jorden or ‘Beautiful is our Earth’, a piece that had its origins as a 19th century Silesian folk song. As a prayer for peace this is the beating heart of this programme and brought at least one tear to this hard-bitten old reviewer’s eyes. It is this blend of simplicity and sophistication, given durability through the excellence both of the performances and 2L’s typically demonstration-quality sound, that makes Fred over jorden into something rather special.
Dominy Clements
Availability: 2L Music Store
Contents
Transeamus
Rydd vei for Herrens komme
Nå vandrer fra hver en verdenskrok
Kling no klokka
Deilig er den himmel blå
Velsigna du dag over fjordan (Nordnorsk julesalme)
Jeg synger julekvad
Det hev ei rose sprunge/Hallelujah
Joleklokker
Deilig er jorden
O jul med din glede
Voggesong
Lacrimosa
Eit barn er født i Betlehem
I en natt
Jul, jul, strålande jul
