Nordic Spring: Scandinavian Music Festival

[Concerts]

Nordic Spring is a festival of music which brings an entertaining and enlightening mixture of Nordic musical talents to Sheffield. Featuring award winning and distinguished artists from both sides of the North Sea, the festival promotes the understanding of Nordic culture with performances of Scandinavian music, as well as furthering our work to establish a Nordic Studies Centre in Sheffield.

 

Funded by the the University of Sheffield, Norden - the Nordic Culture Fund, and the Embassy of Denmark.

 

For more information please see:

 

http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/concerts/nordicspring,

 

or telephone 0114 222 0499

 

Nordic Spring Programme

 

Sunday 21 February: Swedish Jazz

 

Wednesday 24 February: A recital of Scandinavian Song, Signe Asmussen (soprano), Benjamin Frith (piano)

 

Thursday 25 February: Vocal Masterclass with Signe Asmussen (soprano)

 

Friday 26 February: Songs by Schoenberg and Gunnar Berg, Signe Asmussen (soprano), Peter Hill (piano)

 

Tuesday 02 March: Andrew Linn (organ)

 

Tuesday 02 March: Norwegian Hardanger folk music and dance

 

SUNDAY 21 FEBRUARY, FIRTH HALL, 3pm

 

Swedish Jazz traditions grew from the new music's association with dancing. During the 1910s and 20s new dances were introduced, built on movement patterns, tempo and rhythmic features in which jazz played a vital role. But performances needed a strong attraction, so usually a violinist would lead the band, playing elegant solos, and everyone aimed to dress 'properly'. Prepare for a journey through the years of jazz, with arrangements of traditional jazz standards for vocals, violin, piano, drums and bass.

 

Johan Delin (double-bass)

Susie Bishop (Vocal/Violin)

Willie Lok (piano)

Johnny Hunter (drums)

 

Tickets: £3, £2 (concessions/staff), £1.50

(students/unwaged) available on the door

WEDNESDAY 24 FEBRUARY, FIRTH HALL, 7.30pm

 

Signe Asmussen (mezzo-soprano) and Benjamin Frith (piano) give a recital of the best-known Scandinavian songs and piano music including works by Sibelius, Grieg, Nielsen and many less well known composers

 

Since graduating from the Royal Academy of Music in Copenhagen with reviews that named her 'a natural interpreter', and 'an intimate vocal-seducer', Danish soprano Signe Asmussen has worked as a soloist with most of the national orchestras and choirs. She is one of the most sought-after Danish recitalists in both classical and contemporary repertoire, and was recently awarded the prestigious Aksel Schiøtz Prize 2009.

 

Signe is currently appearing as Idamante in the Danish National Opera's production of Mozart's Idomeneo in Aarhus, and returns to Sheffield University, where she made her UK debut in 2002, between performances.

 

Tickets: £8, £5 (concessions/staff), £2.50

(students/unwaged) Box office details below

 

THURSDAY 25 FEBRUARY, DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC, JESSOP BUILDING, 1pm

 

Signe Asmussen gives a masterclass in song for students and members of the public, accompanied by Heidi Rolfe.

 

Admission: Free, please register your interest by emailing concerts@sheffield.ac.uk, and if possible leave a copy of the music you would like to study with Signe in the Music Department office by 9 February 2010, or as soon as possible.

 

FRIDAY 26 FEBRUARY, DRAMA STUDIO, 1.10pm

 

Signe Asmussen and Peter Hill (piano) give a recital which will include Schoenberg's Book of the Hanging Gardens and Gunnar Berg's Ten Japanese Woodcuts

 

Admission: Free and tickets are not required

 

TUESDAY 2 MARCH, SHEFFIELD CATHEDRAL, 1.15pm

 

Andrew Linn (organ) gives a recital of Scandinavian music for organ

 

At its best, the organ music of Scandinavia combines its musical genes in an exciting and dramatic way, uniting the flamboyance of northern European keyboard writing with the grandiloquence of the Lutheran Church, and adding to the mix that characteristic freshness of the folk idioms, a range generously demonstrated in this recital. Andrew holds diplomas from the Royal College of Music and the Royal College of Organists and has given recitals throughout England, in Scandinavia and in the United States. He is Director of Research in the Arts and Humanities and Professor of the History of Linguistics at Sheffield University as well as organist at St Matthew's Church, Carver Street.

 

 

TUESDAY 2 MARCH, FIRTH HALL, 7.30pm

 

We welcome performers from the Ole Bull Academy at Voss, near Stavanger, Norway, which was established to teach 'slåttespel', the traditional Norwegian' Hardanger' fiddle music and folk dance. Best known to British audiences for its cameo appearance in Grieg’s Peer Gynt, the uniquely individual character of Norway's 'Hardanger' folk music and dance promises to provide a rich and enjoyable evening to round up our festival of Nordic Music.

 

John Ole Morken (hardangerfiddle and ordinary fiddle)

Leif Ingvar Ranøien (two rowed button accordion)

Arne Anderdal (Hardangerfiddle)

Vetle Springgard (dancer)

Ingunn Lie(dancer)

 

Tickets: £8, £5 (concessions/staff), £2.50

(students/unwaged) Box office details below.

 

TICKETS AND GENERAL INFORMATION

 

EVENING EVENTS: Tickets are available in person from:

 

Student Union Box Office, and the University Cash

Office (Floor 6, University House)

 

Tickets can be purchased online with a CREDIT OR

DEBIT CARD at http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/concerts

 

Tickets can be purchased over the telephone with a CREDIT CARD from 0114 222 8777 (please note that this number is for the box office only, and for any other enquiries please use the contact details in the footer of this email.)

 

Tickets will also be sold on the door half an hour before the start of each concert.

 

FREE LUNCHTIME EVENTS: Admission is free and tickets are not required. These concerts are designed to be an informal, alternative way to spend part of a lunch hour and members of the audience may arrive and leave between items.