| 01.04.2013 | ||
| 19:00 | to | 20:30 |
On easter monday, I will be playing a concert in Arna church together with russian flutist, Sofya Dudaeva. Both me and Sofya has our education from the Grieg Academy, and I’m looking forward to play this concert with her.
More information about the concert will be published later.
| 21.09.2013 | ||
| 12:00 | to | 13:00 |
During the Fartein Valen Festival in September, I will play a concert in Vår Frelsers kirke (“Our Saviour’s Church”) in Haugesund. This church has a fairly new organ built by dutch organ builder Verschueren Orgelbouw which was dedicated in 2004. This organ replaced an organ built by G. F. Steinmeyer in 1954.
Program
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750): Piece d’Orgue
Charles-Marie Widor (1844 – 1937): Adagio, from Symphonie pour Orgue op. 42 no. 5
Fartein Valen (1887 – 1952): Preludium & Fuge, op. 33 (1939)
Maurice Durufle (1902 – 1986): Meditation
Felix-Alexandre Guilmant (1837 – 1911): Choral et Fugue, from Sonata no. 5
For more information, please visit www.farteinvalen.no.
| 11.11.2012 | ||
| 19:00 | to | 21:00 |
Welcome to a great concert in Arna church this sunday evening. Alversund kammerkor (chamber choir) will perform Gabriel Fauré’s “Requiem”, a well known, and very beautiful Requiem.
Alversund kammekor is based in Alversund, a small town 25 minutes from downtown Bergen. Alversund also happens to be my birth place and where I was raised, and from 2002 to 2008 I was employed as second organist in Alversund church, and got to work with Alversund kammerkor on several occations.
Odd Leif Mjøs is the conductor of Alversund kammerkor, and also is the musical director of Alversund church. He has made this choir to one of the best choirs in county of Hordaland, and during his time as conductor, they have performed several large pieces like St. Johns Passion (Bach), Messiah (Händel) and Requiem (by both Mozart, Duruflé and Fauré).
On this performance of Fauré’s Requiem, I will be playing the organ.
Complete program, with tickets information will be posted soon.
| 13.09.2012 | ||
| 12:00 | to | 12:30 |
This thursday morning, I will be playing a small recital in Bergen Cathedral. The organ in Bergen cathedral was built by Rieger Orgelbau in 1997, and is by far the largest and most versatile organ in the city of Bergen, and Hordaland county.
Admission: Free
Information about the program will be posted soon.
I’ve uploaded some recordings from my concert in Arna church 25th of April. I’ve replaced the recording of Bachs “Dorian”, recorded in Vardeneset church, with a recording from Arna church, and I’ve uploaded a recording of Cesar Franck’s Choral in a minor.
Especially on the latter one, you will hear a quite annoying squeaking noise. This is caused by one of the shutters in the swellbox for the Swell Organ, and it wasn’t fixed before the concert (actually, it hasn’t been fixed yet, but I hope to do some day).
Johann Sebastian Bach: Toccata & Fuga, d minor “Dorian” – Arna church
Cesar Franck: Choral no. 3, a minor
| 25.04.2012 | ||
| 20:00 | to | 21:30 |
During “Culture Days” in Arna, I will have my first organ concert as organist/director of music in Arna church.
The organ of Arna church, was built in 1955 by Norwegian organ builder, Jørgensen. As many organs produced in the 40s, 50s and 60s, there were some fairly large issues with the organ, mostly electrical errors, but also damaged pipes etc.
All these issues led to a conclusion in the mid-1990s, that the organ had to be demolished, and there was a fund raising to collect money to build a new organ. Fortunately, one of my predecessors, discovered that the organ had many, many good qualities. They were just hidden behind all the electrical issues. After a while, he managed to convince the church of Bergen that a restoration of the organ would be sufficient.
So a couple of years ago, the organ was restored, repaired and enlarged, with 3 additional stops, which gives the organ a total of 43 stops, making it one of the largest instrument in Bergen municipality, except those found in downtown Bergen. During the restoration, air pressure inside the organ’s bellows, were increased, making it a much more powerfull organ than it was originally.
I’m very excited about this concert, and looking forward to perform my first of many organ concerts in Arna church.
Admission: Free
Program
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750): Toccata & Fugue, “Dorian”, BWV 538
Dietrich Buxtehude (1637 – 1707): Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott, BuxWV 184
Félix-Alexandre Guilmant (1837 – 1911): Grand Choeur, op. 84
Olivier Messiaen (1908 – 1992): From “La Nativité du Seigneur”: Jésus accepte la Souffrance
Flor Peeters (1903 – 1986): Aria, op. 51
César Franck (1822 – 1890): Choral no. 3, a minor
As I may have written somewhere on my website, I moved back to Bergen in May to work in Salhus church in Bergen. However, I’m now quitting that job, and from January 1st, I will be Musical Director of Arna church, Bergen.
To tell you a little bit about Salhus first, the church has a really bad organ from 1941(-ish). Actually, yesterday, as I was about to start the annually christmas-concert, the organ collapsed. We’re working on a new organ, but that won’t be in the church before summer 2014 – IF we’re lucky. The present organ is also quite small, 14 stops, and the new organ will be between 11 and 14 stops. Salhus church is also a tiny church, situated next to a fjord and a beach. But all though it’s only about 15 km to Bergen city centre from Salhus, it actually takes a while to go that way. As I don’t own a car, I have to use bus, and that actually takes close to one hour. Each way.
So that’s Salhus. In addition, my current job is 80%, which means I’m loosing about 55,000 NOK (app. $ 10,000) each year compared to a 100% job.
Well, my new job in Arna, is 100%. And it’s a quite big church (500 seats) with a fairly large organ with three manuals (28 stops + 15 = 43 stops) which was built in the 1960s, and acutally was not so good, but was completely restored in 2009. Air-pressure was increased, pipes cleaned, the organ was revoiced etc etc. There is only one (or two) jobs left on the organ now, and that is that the console has to be moved to a new position at the organ-loft. In a long term, I hope we will get a new console, but that’s many years ahead.
Arna Church is also located next to the sea, and there is a river floating by my office. And within two minutes walking-distance, there’s a train, taking you to Bergen city centre in less than 10 minutes (and where the buses in Salhus very often is delayed, the train Bergen – Arna actually has the best on time-statistics in Norway, with I believe close to 96% ON TIME).
Also, Arna is one of the places in Bergen which will probably be facing a really large expansion over the next 20-30 years, which in that timespan could increase population from about 8,000 to close to 30,000. So Arna is a really exciting place to be.
I really look forward to start my new job, and I hope that I will be in that job for many, many years.
I’ve waited a while to upload the recordings from my concert in Odense cathedral last month, but now they’re here, so please enjoy them, and feel free to give me any feedback 
Johann Sebastian Bach: Piece d’Orgue, BWV 572
Dietrich Buxtehude: Vater Unser Im Himmelreich, BuxWV 219
Alexandre Guilmant: Sonata no. 5 – Allegro Appassionato
Alexandre Guilmant: Sonata no. 5 – Adagio
Alexandre Guilmant: Sonata no. 5 – Scherzo
Alexandre Guilmant: Sonata no. 5 – Recitativo
Alexandre Guilmant: Sonata no. 5 – Choral et Fugue
This weekend, I was in Skien church in Telemark county, to play a concert. For those who don’t know so much about Norwegian organs and churches, Skien church has the third largest organ in Norway with 70 stops (not sure how many ranks…), only exceeded by Nidaros Cathedral and Oslo Concert-Hall.
At this concert I played some repertoire by Bach, Buxtehude and Guilmant. I arrived very late friday night, due to a 2 hour flight-delay, and saturday I practiced between some weddings.
Late saturday night (not sure about what time it was, I was very exhausted) I did a little recording for my aunt.
She loves the Toccata by Charles-Marie Widor, and she has nagged me for years to make a special recording for her, with me playing it, but I haven’t an organ to do a proper recording of this piece, until now.
So I did this little recording saturday night. Enjoy!
Charles-Marie Widor: Toccata from Symphonie no. 5 (recorded in Skien church)