Hedrer Vilhelm Krag med åtte nyskrevne verk

To mark the 150th anniversary of Vilhelm Krag’s birth, Kilden (KVE) will perform no fewer than eight newly commissioned works by Norwegian composers on November 4.

The year 2021 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Vilhelm Krag, the poet, author, journalist, and man who coined the name “Sørlandet,” an occasion that has been celebrated throughout the region all year long.

The concert *Autumn on the Moor*—and other works by Vilhelm Krag —scheduled for next week will feature the most newly composed music of the entire anniversary season:

– Meaningful

“Commissioning and performing new music by Norwegian composers is meaningful, incredibly exciting, inspiring, and, not least, important. Everyone involved is really looking forward to this,” says Marit Tøndel Bodsberg Weyde, conductor and artistic director of KVE.

The composers involved are Bente Leiknes Thorsen, Agnes Ida Pettersen, Ellen Lindquist, Else Olsen Storesund, Kristin Norderval, Marianne R. Eriksen, Birgit Djupedal, and Eva Holm Foosnæs. The works will be presented to the public for the first time at Grim Church in Kristiansand on Thursday, November 4.

Wide range of genres

Bodsberg Weyde hopes the audience will find these new works exciting, but adds that the program will feature more than just new music:

“In terms of genre, it won’t just be what we typically associate with Krag—which for many people is primarily the folk songs of Southern Norway. The new works represent a new dimension and fresh, exciting interpretations of Krag’s lyrics,” she says, adding that the program will also feature well-known pieces by Grieg and the more local heroes Ivar Bøksle and Jan Erik Usterud.

Personality

Vilhelm Krag (1871–1933) was one of Southern Norway’s most prominent figures. He was born in Kristiansand and made his debut as a poet with a collection of romantic verses at the age of just 18. Around 100 composers have set his poems to music in over 300 compositions. In this respect, Krag is second only to Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson.

For more than ten years, Kilden has been Southern Norway’s leading ensemble of professional singers. The ensemble has close ties to Kilden and the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, and has contributed to numerous opera productions, musicals, and symphonic concerts at Kilden. The ensemble also performs its own a cappella concerts, covering a wide range of genres. In 2021, the ensemble will present no fewer than 10 world premieres through its concerts.