The UiA Choir sings in Kristiansand Cathedral on 5 December
Four international soloists, two other choirs and Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra join the UiA Choir in the Cathedral in Kristiansand on Thursday 5 December to perform Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.
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“I really look forward to this concert because we are singing together with the Cathedral Choir, Kilden Vocal Ensemble and the Symphony Orchestra. And Bach’s Christmas Oratorio is iconic”, says conductor of the UiA Choir, Professor Anne Haugland Balsnes at the Faculty of Fine Arts.
Rehearsals since August
The conductor explains that the large choir of about 60 members, which consists of students and staff from the University, has rehearsed its parts since the beginning of the semester in August.
Anne Haugland Balsnes
“First we looked forward to a concert with soul repertoire which we did on 31 October. And since then we have rehearsed the Christmas Oratorio intensively. First alone, but also recently in the Cathedral together with the Cathedral Choir. We were more than 100 singers then, and it sounded great. The repertoire is demanding, so we have pulled up our sleeves and worked hard. Joining together with the other participants, this is going to be really good!”
UiA jazz in April
The concert in the Cathedral is the choir’s last one before Christmas. But rehearsals for another concert commence at the start of the spring semester.
“The choir’s next project is our own concert in the Cathedral on 16 April next year. We will perform jazz music by UiA professor at the Department of Popular Music and jazz pianist Jan Gunnar Hoff and also classical music by the young Norwegian composer Kim André Arnesen. I already look forward to it”, says Anne Haugland Balsnes.
Rolf Gupta conducts at the Cathedral
The Christmas Oratorio in the Cathedral is a joint project between the UiA Choir, the Cathedral Choir, Kilden Vocal Ensemble and Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra. Together they perform Bach’s Christmas Oratorio parts 1, 4 and 6 which Bach composed in 1734/35 during his time as cantor of St. Thomas’ Church in Leipzig.
Conducting in the Cathedral that day is Professor II Rolf Gupta at the Department of Classical Music at UiA. Instructor of the large choir is Cantor Marianne Sødal Misje.
NB: The concert in Kristiansand Cathedral is a Christmas concert organised by Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra. It is a paid event with tickets from NOK 150 (student price) to NOK 300 (regular price).