 | The latvian womens choir BALTA have come together with Schola cantorum VOX IUBILANTIS, and they will perform two concerts with Henrik Ødegard's music. On the 6th of march they sing in St. Mary Magdalene's Church, Riga, and the 10th march in Bruknas church. "Balta" is conducted by Māra Marnauza, "Vox iubilantis" by Laina Tabora. They will perform 9 of Ødegaard's CANTUS-compositions, created during the years 2001- 2015. These are smaller pieces in wich a female schola and a traditional womens choir unite, and where the shola are the leaders in the rhytmic aspects of the performance. |
 September 28, 2018 at 22:00 these two outstanding ensembles unite in the world premiere of a new piece composed directly for them: "Meditations over St. Mary Magdalene's feast in Nidaros" borrows material from a 13th century antiphonal manuscript probably both written in and used in Nidaros, the medieval name of Trond-heim. The new piece is a fantasy around antiphons, hymns and psalms, where both ensemble function either as "medieval anchor" or contemporary commentator.
SSS has earlier worked with other parts of the menuscript «Add fol 47», in "Fingergullmess" and in their recordings of the St. Olaf office. Now it is Mary Magdalene's turn! See: Trondheim chamber music festival  Sunday june 3rd at 18:00 the chamber choir Ad Cantus and the hardanger fiddle player Sivert Andreas Holmen shall give world premiere to my new siute for choir and fiddle called "Draumen" ("The dream"). The suite has five movements, and the lyrics are written by norwegian poet Olav H. Hauge. Conductor is Ashild Alette Haugstad, and the concert takes place in Nordre Ål church, Lillehammer.
 Yhe choir "Con Vocale", the string quartet "Quartet on the corner" and the sorano Cecilie Rønning give world premiere to the cantata "Veni, redemptor omnium" during the anniversary service in Holla church sunday 24th september at 11:00. The cantata is also performed the same day in Holla church at 19:00. Conductor is Cedomir Popadic.
See: Visit Telemark
My latest cd was internationally presented in Tallinn 20th january. The entire cd was performed by The Estonian State Male choir RAM and Vox Clamantis, conducted by Mikk Ûleoja and Jaan-Eik Tulve. The concert was transmitted directly on the estonian radio. It was also made a television production about the concert and about choir music. See: Eesti Kontsert   21st october Grappa music publisher release my latest cd: "Te lucis ante terminum". The Estonian State Male Choir RAM and the vocal ensemble Vox Clamantis from Tallinn perform my music for male voices. The publisher writes: Voices from the Gregorian tradition, from the depths of our western vocal tradition, meet a new, modern musical language in an organic, but nonetheless refreshing and unpredictable way, filtered through composer Henrik Ødegaard ́s finely tuned means of expression. With a background from “the Gregorian class” at the music conservatory in Paris, Ødegaard has engrossed himself in Gregorian chant and written several works taking their inspiration from the Gregorian tradition and from Catholic liturgy. On this recording we will be getting to know works in that tradition, performed by world renowned Gregorian choirs The Estonian National Male Choir (RAM) and Vox Clamantis. Contrasting elements There are always contrasts in Henrik Ødegaard ́s music. Overtones or modality are set as a contrast to an abstract, personal musical language. Improvisation is contrasted to the annotated, and contrasting elements – light and shade, foreground and background, open and closed – are generated through his development of the material. He investigates the relationship between the Gregorian tradition and a modern, free-tonal style, in both a playful neo-classical direction and abstract, almost impressionist, experiments in timbre. “Te lucis ante terminum” sets improvisatory elements against the traditional material in a large-scale tuneful composition, while the three “Cantus”-works puts Gregorian melodies in the original notation together with modern harmonisation. The opening work “Arise, my love!”, however, takes a different approach, not being based on the Gregorian, and creates with its open intervals and additions of whistling, laughter and shouts a positive, joyful style, where the sensuality is clear both in music and words. Henrik Ødegaard: a Gregorian conductor amidst a vital folk-music scene Henrik Ødegaard was educated as a music teacher, organist and composer. He studied composition with Lasse Thoresen in Oslo and Tristan Keuris in Utrecht, Holland, and later studied Gregorian conducting at the National Conservatory in Paris. His list of works cover all genres, with emphasis on vocal music. Residing in Sauherad, Telemark, Ødegaard lives amidst a vital folk-music scene – a musical heritage that has proved to play an increasing part in his compositions. Buy the cd here |
