Contemporary Church Music from Scandinavia – Oslo Cathedral Choir

The modernism in Nordic church music

“Contemporary Church Music from Scandinavia” presents the works of five composers who in each their own way have contributed to the pushing of boundaries in the church musical format. Oslo Cathedral Choir, under conductor Terje Kvam, and organist Kåre Nordstoga brings to the fore the modern in Scandinavian church music in their recordings of Vagn Holmboe´s, Bengt Hambræus´, Egil Hovlands´, Knut Nystedt´s and Trond Kverno´s compositions.

Vagn Holmboe´s motets combine Apollonian and Dionysiac elemtns, which can be said to characterise his creative work. In Bengt Hambræus´ church musical works one finds a remarkable synthesis of apparent musical opposites – primitive harmony, reminiscent of the organum-style of the 12th century is reflected in contemporary cosmic clusters and colour effects. Egil Hovland has frequently taken the lead in the field of church music. His later works bears traits of Neo-romanticism, while the experimentalism of the mid-1960s often give new dimensions to his music. Knut Nystedt has, like Hovland, been a renewer withing church music in Norway and followed much of the same stylistic development as Hovland. His wide and differentiated sonic spectrum is dominated by Neo-romantic elements. Trond Kverno´s works are undoubtedly characterised by a modern tone language, and the composer has been a considerable contributor to the renewed interest in a range of church musical genres.