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Description
On February the 10th, 2024, Ketil Bjornstad's "Chasing the Wind" premiered in Oslo Cathedral, filled to capacity, featuring a mighty choir of hundred singers accompanied by a stellar line up of musicians. The text is an adapted version of the Bible's Ecclesiastes, a philosophical reflection on the meaning of life-or interpreted: the lack of meaning in life. A text as relevant today, as when it was first written. The concert was met with rave reviews, and on October 18th 2024, it will be available on a double CD, including the concert recording and Bjornstad's piano sketches of the work.
In 1992, Ketil Bjornstad composed "Mass for a Wounded Earth." It premiered at Frogner Church, and Erik Hillestad and KKV released the album. Hillestad wrote the text for the mass. In the years that followed, Bjornstad often thought about Ecclesiastes, with some amazement that these fantastic and existential texts had not previously caught the attention of choirs, festivals, or concert organisers. In 2019, the opportunity arose when Catharina Jacobsen, Bjornstad's wife, asked if Ketil could compose something new for her own choir, the Nordstrand Music Society Choir. Both had heard baritone singer Brynjar Onsoien perform Vaughan Williams '"Songs of Travel" during a Christmas concert with the choir, and his voice and delivery left a strong impression. Neither Catharina nor Ketil forgot Brynjar's powerful baritone, and when the Covid pandemic arrived in Norway for real, Catharina sat down and edited the Bible texts, focusing particularly on their existential aspect.
Music: Ketil Bjornstad
Conductor: Tore Brox
Vocal: Brynjar Onsoien
Violin/Hardanger fiddle: Nils Okland
Bassoon: Hanne Rekdal
Double bass: Ellen Brekken
Percussion: Helge Andreas Norbakken
The project choir Jag etter vind
Nordstrand Musikkselskaps kor
GAEA
Singers from Oslo Domkirkes Guttekor and Trefoldighet Jentekor
Tracklisting
Tone Kummervold
Per Kristian Skalstad, Telemark Chamber Orchestra
Ketil Bjornstad
Marius Neset, Leif Ove Andsnes
The Norwegian National Opera Chorus and Orchestra, Terje Boye Hansen
Bjorn Sagstad & Ila Brass Band
Yngve Slettholm
Various Composers
Ketil Bjørnstad
Ketil Bjornstad
Ketil Bjornstad, Eva Bjerga Haugen & Kjersti Annesdatter Skomsvold
Ketil Bjornstad, Lars Saabye Christensen, Anneli Drecker
Ketil Bjornstad
Ketil Bjornstad
Ketil Bjornstad
