Northern Lights Concert © Roger Schmidt

Northern Lights – Contemporary Music from the North

Concert and tribute to Christian Ljunggren

European Choir Games 2017

“He was a driving force and we are grateful for all his commitment he dedicated to INTERKULTUR and the choral community”, INTERKULTUR President Günter Titsch commemorated INTERKULTUR member Christian Ljunggren. The Swedish choral conductor deceased in February 2017. In December 2016 he had been appointed the Honorary President of INTERKULTUR. Yesterday evening Günter Titsch presented the certificate of appointment to his widow Margareta Ljunggren and paid tribute to the merits of his long-lasting dedication to the development of international choral singing.

The commemoration was followed by the organ piece Meditācija (Meditation), performed by the one of Europe’s most active and sought-after solo organists, Iveta Apkalna, and the Swedish folk song Uti Vår Hage, performed by the Örebro Chamber Choir and conducted by INTERKULTUR’s General Artistic Director Fred Sjöberg. The concert continued with different organ works and choral music performed by the Rīga Cathedral Boys’ Choir, the Jāzeps Mediņš School of Music Boys’ Choir, the Norwegian vocal ensemble Nordic Voices, the Örebro Chamber Choir and Latvian soloists.

The nearly sold out concert venue offered the perfect place for the solemn sounds of works by Ola Gjeilo, Rihards Dubra, Ēriks Ešenvalds and others which were accompanied by special light effects which created a solemn atmosphere in the cathedral.

The concert also featured the premiere of two songs: "Love Is As Strong As Death" and "Arise My Darling" from a newly composed suite of the Swedish composer Anton Leanderson-Andréas.

The last music piece "O Be Joyful In God" united all participating choirs as well as the soloists. Long lasting ovations accompanied the end of the concert and gave proof of the outstanding level of music that was performed.

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