Swedish a cappella, Vol. 2

An insightful exploration of the development of Swedish song featuring the premiere recording of Edlund’s Paradiso.

While there was comparatively limited instrumental music and orchestral activity during the nineteenth century in Nordic countries compared to England or Germany, there was a fine tradition of vocal music. During the twentieth century, mixed choral singing has developed into the popular movement it is today. Of a population of nine million, one tenth belongs to choirs, and Swedish choirs have a strong and important position within international musical life.

The Academy Chamber Choir of Uppsala was founded in 1957 and has been closely associated with the University. It has been conducted by Sweden’s leading choral conductors and is today considered to be one of Sweden’s foremost mixed choirs.

Knut Håkansson’s music is a fusion of Swedish folk music and Bach-influenced counterpoint. He considered the sond "Brusala" his most valuable composition. Lars Edlund is one of Sweden’s most prominent choral composers, particularly known for his sacred works. the three songs on texts by Dante Alighieri were written in the 1990s and the words are taken from the third part of the "Divina Comedia" Paradiso. Ingvar Lidholm contributed much to the revival of Swedish music after the Second World War. He was at the forefront of Swedish musical language, and with his gift for lyrical expression and interest in twelve-tone tecniques, he developed his own romantic voice. Lars Johan Werle’s music has a poetic and ingenious quality about it. It forms its own niche somewhere between modern ’art’ music and popular music.