Spelet om Heilag Olav – Trondheim Symphony Orchestra

The Saint Olav Drama

For more than forty years “The Saint Olav Drama” has captivated the public at Stiklestad. The drama depicts the struggles surrounding the battle at Stiklestad in 1030 – an event which is considered the most important in the establishment of Christianity in Norway. It was here that Olav the Great was made a saint. As thousands of spectators find their seats in front of Norway´s biggest outdoor stage, there is excitement in the air. And when Paul Okkenhaug´s music stops after a performance of “The Saint Olav Drama”, few of the visitors leave untouched by the special atmosphere.

On this album Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, choir and soloists, under conductor Ole Kristian Ruud, performs Paul Okkehaug´s music and Olav Gullvåg´s lyrics for “The Saint Olav Drama”. “I want Okkenhaug´s music to be accessible to a greater public,” says Ole Kristian Ruud. In the course of this recording he has utilised a full symphony orchestra, in order to give full justice to the composer´s work.