Take a musical journey to Scandinavia in an upcoming concert with the Vancouver Cantata Singers.
The choir is offering up Scandinavian Treasures: Songs of the North on Saturday, May 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the Scandinavian Community Centre.
The concert will explore music from five Nordic countries: Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway. The 40-voice choir will sing a wide variety of a cappella works spanning six languages, performing in the intimate venue of the cultural centre.
A press release notes that the Nordic countries have an impressive tradition of music – with a living heritage of folk music, well-known classical composers such as Edvard Grieg and Jean Sibelius, and a modern scene of pop, rock and electronic music. The program includes two works by Sibelius: Sydameni Laulu and Varen, plus work by living composers such as the Danish experimental composer Per Nørgård and Finnish composer Jaakko Mäntyjärvi. Also on offer will be an atmospheric arrangement of a Swedish summer song, I denna ljuva sommartid (Into the summertime we go), by Bengt Ollén, and the beloved tune Butterfly, made popular by the Finnish a cappella ensemble Rajaton.
The singers will also premiere a new choral work, Metsä, by Alan Matheson, set to Riina Tamm's poem Woods.
The Scandinavian Community Centre is at 6540 Thomas St. Tickets for the concert are $35 regular, $15 for students, $10 for youth, available online at www.vancouvercantatasingers.com/scandinavian-treasures or by phone at 604-730-8856.
