The Spirit of Norway Festival emerged out of a growing number of relationships between Chetham's and a number of musicians and organisations throughout Norway. We were thrilled to have some of Norway's leading artists in residence and at the very core of the festival.
We were also delighted that we were able to collaborate with so many local orchestras and organisations who do so much to sustain the musical heritage of our region.
Click here to view the Spirit of Norway brochure online.
A few of the project's highlights were:
Gala Concert – Miles Apart
Young people from Chetham's School of Music, Trondheim Kulturskole in Norway and the Manx Youth Orchestra came together for an intense three days of rehearsals culminating in a Gala Concert at the Villa Marina on the Isle of Man, with performances of music by Greig, Halvorsen, Tveitt and Delius.
Recitals
Renowned soloists, including Raphael Wallfisch, Einar Steen-Nokleberg, Harvard Gimse and Henning Kraggerud, performed throughout the festival, bringing to life numerous works from Norwegian composers.
SHIPWRECKS! Bringing a poem to life
This was a day of activities based around the heroic tale of Terje Vigen by Norwegian auther Henrik Ibsen. It included a workshop with composer and pianist Neil Brand on composing music for silent films, a drama workshop exploring the elements of exploration, shipwrecks, love and loss found within Ibsen's text, and a film screening at the Cornerhouse Cinema of Ibsen's poem narrated by Charles foster and accompanied by Neil Brand.
Munch! The Performance
Workshops for composers led by Mark-Anthony Turnage and Jeremy Pike culminated in this performance of their works inspired by Munch's paintings.
Peer Gynt – the complete musical drama
In a thrilling conclusion to the Festival, Grieg's complete incidental music and Henrik Ibsen’s dramatic text were brought to life in its rarely performed complete form by Chetham's Symphony Orchestra and Chorus under the direction of Jac van Steen.
