Welcome to world premiere of "Dolor Matris" in Estonia concert hall, Tallin, thursday 23th march at 19:00! Performers are The Estonian National Male Choir conducted by Mikk Üleoja, with Iris Oja singing the mezzo-soprano part.
The medieval hymn «Stabat Mater» describes Mary’s suffering under the cross during her son’s crucifixion. By adding other texts from the Bible and medieval prayers, I have tried to widen up the perspective; from Mary’s sorrow and pain to all mother’s grief when loosing a child or seeing their sons suffering. This is why I changed the title to Dolor Matris, meaning “The mothers suffering”.
During the period of creation in 2022, my composition turned out to be dedicated to all mothers suffering for blessed and lost sons in occupation and war.
Photo: Anna-Julia Granberg

David Smith made this interview with me in june, on the occasion of the of "Music by Henrik Ødegaard" on ECM new series:
Presto Music

A litte more that a year ago i came into touch with the brass player Geir Davidsen in Tromsø. I had heard that he experimented to make a quarter-tone euphomuim. After some time he told me that he har started practising another speciel instrument, the serpent.  It has a body of wood with 6 finger holes, but metal mouthpiece as a brass instrument. The instrument was used in the baroque orchestra, but also to reinforce the sound og the lower voices in the choirs singing gregorian chant in the french cathedrals.
Our contact led to a commission of a new piece for serpent and schola cantorum, female voices, "The serpent's head". It will be performed for the first time in Riga the 8th january. Geir Davidsen plays the serpent together Schola cantorum Vox Iubilantis conducted by Laine Tabora.

On the 29th of march Randi Ystad will give world performance to Henrik Ødegaard's "Partita nr. 3: Ein feste burg", in St. Nikolai church, Aabenraa, Danmark.
The partita is composed for Ystad, she commisioned it as a part of her master project at Gothenburg university, a project that will be finished this spring. Her thesis is about composers during the history having composed organ variations over the hymn "A mighty fortress is our God", and how they have let the content of the hymn lyrics influence the musical result. Through interviews and conversations Ystad has documented Ødegaards working process. And now the day has come for the first performance.
Read more (in danish) about the music here:
Aabenraa sogn.

On the 26th of march at 20:30 the vocal ensemble "Lux Cantus" will give world premiere to Henrik Ødegaard's Cantus II: "Christus factus est" in the Saint Gervais-church in i Paris. The piece was composed in 2007. Conductor of Lux Cantus is Olga Roudakova.
See Lux Cantus

The latvian womens choir "Balta" release todag their new cd "Silence" with three composistions from Henrik Ødegaard: Three nocturnes (2002), Ubi caritas (2008) and Pone me ut signaculum (2015). The disc was released digitally, and the presentation can be found om Youtube here:  
Conductor of Balta is Māra Marnauza.