Alfred Janson: The Wind Blows The Norwegian Soloists' Choir & Grete Pedersen

• Alfred Janson (1937- ):
• 1 3 Dikt av Ebba Lindqvist (With Melodica Introduction) 04:14
• 2 The Wind Blows (Where It Wishes) 08:50
• 3 Nå er det fint å leve 03:53
• 4 Lille mor klode 04:51
• 5 Sarabande 11:53
• 6 Sonnet No. 76 05:48
• Gunnar Eriksson (1936- ):
• 7 Construction (After A. Janson's Construction and Hymn) [With Melodica Introduction] 08:18
• 8 Ky og vakre Madame Ky (Arr. for Mixed Choir, Piano & Melodica) 04:32
• 9 Viska du vind (Arr. for Mixed Choir, Piano & Melodica) 03:22
• 10 Nocturne 09:03
• Total Runtime 01:04:44

Info for Alfred Janson: The Wind Blows

“the wind blows” is the title of this album with choral music by the rather unique Norwegian composer Alfred Janson. We are talking contemporary music here, but not the gritty kind. Here beautiful melodies blend with modern means of expression; music that has its root in the Norwegian folk music treasure. The composer himself participates with his well-loved melodica and there are several instrumental soloists as well. This is a worthy continuation of the Norwegian Soloists’ Choir’s contribution to the recording of worthwhile music. The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir is one of Norway’s leading ensembles in any genre and among the foremost chamber choirs in Europe. The choir is equally at home in the classical/romantic repertoire and in contemporary music, making regular excursions into folk-derived music and National Romantic works. The Choir was founded in 1950 by the composer Knut Nystedt, who was its conductor for forty years. In 1990 he was succeeded by Grete Pedersen, who remains the choir’s artistic director to this day.

The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir
Grete Pedersen, conductor

Grete Pedersen
The Norwegian conductor Grete Pedersen is one of the most renowned conductors in the international choral scene. Since 1990 Grete Pedersen is Music Director of the Norwegian Soloists’ Choir whose recordings were awarded the ‘Choc de la Musique’ and the ‘Prix d'Or’ from Diapason. In 1984 she founded the Oslo Chamber Choir which she directed until 2004.

Grete Pedersen is a demanded guest conductor and has worked with the Eric Ericson Kammerchor, Schwedischen Rundfunkchor, Netherlands Radio Chor, Netherlands Chamber Choir, Danish National Vocal Ensemble and Choir, Rundfunkchor Berlin, Pro Coro Canada, Tokyo Cantat, World Youth Choir among others. Grede Pedersen participated with the Norwegian Soloists’ Choir in the project “150 psalms” at Early Music Festival Utrecht, New York and Brussels in 2017/18. Future highlights will see engagements with Chamber Choir Ireland, Stavanger Symphony, Slovenian Philharmonic Choir, Latvian Radio Choir, Netherlands Bach Society, Estonian Male Choir etc.

Pedersen's name stands for productions and stagings with wide stylistic variety. Her contrasting concert programmes are known to often be a rather radical mixture. In addition to premiering contemporary musical works, her efforts have increasingly been directed towards larger productions for choir and orchestra.

BIS Records has released numerous recordings by Grete Pedersen and the Norwegian Soloists Choir with works by Per Norgard, Kaija Saariaho, Iannis Xenakis, Helmut Lachenmann, Alfred Janson, J.S. Bach, Knut Nystedt, Alban Berg, Olivier Messiaen, Fartein Valen, Anton Webern, Johannes Brahms, Franz Schubert, Edvard Grieg and Norwegian Folk Music. For her latest recording with J.S. Bach Motets with the Norwegian Soloists‘ Choir and Ensemble Allegria Grete Pedersen was awarded a Diapason d’Or.

Booklet for Alfred Janson: The Wind Blows