Symphony and Industry in Perfect Harmony
Fædrelandsvennen's Request Concert in Vennesla
Symphony and Industry in Perfect Harmony
Women in dark gowns, men in stiff tuxedos, and a full symphony orchestra of 71 musicians. The Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra (KSO) produces something quite different from paper in the venue that once housed a massive, noisy paper mill called Hunsfos Fabrikker.
A massive harp, brass wind instruments, and string instruments made of precious wood can be glimpsed between enormous columns of raw concrete, old brick walls, and large glass surfaces. Musical magic happens when soft, creeping tones are followed by raw power. The KSO plays everything from “Le jardin féérique” to the Star Wars theme inside the industrial hall.
The KSO is one of the country’s seven professional symphony orchestras. Its 71 full-time musicians hail from 17 different countries. The symphony orchestra describes itself as a young and dynamic ensemble. Tonight’s conductor, Fredrik Burstedt, has received numerous awards, including the Sixten Ehrling Prize for Young Conductors.
I love concrete and the viola
“It’s really fun to see a full symphony orchestra and hear classical music in an old concrete industrial building,” says Kine Rohnen. Together with her friend Tonje Hangeland, the two women from Kristiansand have traveled north to Vennesla to catch the performance.
“Absolutely fantastic. They really hit the mark here. It’s a unique place, after all, and a fantastic orchestra,” says Hangeland. The two friends are full of glowing adjectives as they describe the concert experience they’re in the midst of.
They both love classical music, but this is the first time they’ve sat in an old industrial hall to listen to it.
“But if they come back here, we’ll come back too. Because concrete and violas—that’s what we like,” Rohnen concludes, while Hangeland nods in agreement.
More than one foot taps out the beat on the concrete floor during the concert. The applause grows louder and louder. And it’s not just the mature ladies that the KSO is wooing—and winning over—in the old industrial space as they perform Mendelssohn’s Wedding March. The orchestra is also stealing the hearts of young girls.
– I really like all the music they play, not just Star Wars, which I’ve heard before. It’s so nice when they play both soft and loud at the same time
Totally hooked teens
“This is my first time at a concert with the symphony orchestra. It’s really nice to listen to,” says Bertin Dale Bærum. The 11-year-old is absolutely certain that from now on she’ll be a regular atperforming arts centre Kilden performing arts centre Kristiansand. That’s the symphony orchestra’s true home. She’s going for the KSO’s Gold Series, a subscription to a full 20 concerts over the course of a year.
“I absolutely love all the music they play, not just Star Wars, which I’ve heard before. It’s so nice when they play both soft and loud at the same time,” the young girl explains with great enthusiasm.
Unsurprisingly, the concert ends with a standing ovation for the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra in the old industrial buildings of Hunsfos Fabrikker. Industrial classical music is captivating audiences in Southern Norway.
Afterward, musicians Stig Nordhagen and Roar Brostrøm step out into the crisp evening air. They have been playing the clarinet and the oboe, respectively, in the industrial hall known as PM5, named after paper machine number 5.
“This is definitely not a typical venue for us to play in,” says Brostrøm.
“I think this must be the first time we’ve played at a venue like this. But it went really well. We connected with the audience, and I thought I saw quite a few people tapping their feet along to the beat,” Nordhagen concludes with satisfaction.
Text: Torill Frislid Gustafson
Photos: Heida Gudmundsdottir and Torill Frislid Gustafson