CHRISTMAS CONCERT 2024
A brass ensemble from the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Swedish Radio Choir’s annual Christmas concert encompasses traditional Christmas music as well as new favourites, from Johann Sebastian Bach to John Williams. An atmospheric musical Christmas cracker for the whole family
Participants
32 professional choristers make up the Swedish Radio Choir: a unique, dynamic instrument hailed by music-lovers and critics all over the world. The Swedish Radio Choir performs at Berwaldhallen, concert hall of the Swedish Radio, as well as on tours all over the country and the world. Also, they are heard regularly by millions of listeners on Swedish Radio P2, Berwaldhallen Play and globally through the EBU.
The award-winning Latvian conductor Kaspars Putniņš was appointed Chief Conductor of the Swedish Radio Choir in 2020. Since January 2019, its choirmaster is French orchestral and choral conductor Marc Korovitch, with responsibility for the choir’s vocal development.
The Swedish Radio Choir was founded in 1925, the same year as Sweden’s inaugural radio broadcasts, and gave its first concert in May that year. Multiple acclaimed and award-winning albums can be found in the choir’s record catalogue. Late 2023 saw the release of Kaspars Putniņš first album with the choir: Robert Schumann’s Missa sacra, recorded with organist Johan Hammarström.
Known as a versatile cellist and conductor with strong roots in chamber music, Djupsjöbacka is the founding cellist of the string quartet Meta4 as well as a member of the renowned Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
Since his conducting debut in 2013 with the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, Djupsjöbacka has appeared with most of the Finnish orchestras including debuts with the Finnish Radio Orchestra, the Helsinki Philharmonic, Sinfonia Lahti and Oulu Sinfonia. He regularly guest conducts the Turku Philharmonic, Jyväskylä Sinfonia and AVANTI! Djupsjöbacka has premiered works by Jukka Tiensuu, Veli Kujala, Sampo Haapamäki and Mikko Heiniö often teaming up with unusual partners such as dancers, jugglers or foley-artists.
Djupsjöbacka studied conducting privately with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Music director of the New York Metropolitan opera. He completed his studies in the conducting program of the Sibelius Academy in 2017 and has also participated in master classes by Jorma Panula.
Tomas Djupsjöbacka has been appointed Principal conductor and artistic director of Vaasa City orchestra starting in 2021. He worked as the first ever Principal Guest Conductor of the Lapland Chamber Orchestra from autumn 2019 to summer 2022.
Pernilla Eskilsdotter är en av P2:s profiler. Som programledare för Klassisk morgon i P2 ger hon lyssnarna en behaglig musikalisk start på vardagarna. Under säsongen 2024/2025 kan Berwaldhallens publik vid ett flertal tillfällen ta del av hennes konsertintroduktioner i foajén.
Eskilsdotter är en ofta anlitad presentatör vid livekonserter både i och utanför direktsändningar. Hon var tidigare scenpresentatör på samtliga konserter i P2 i Parken; P2:s stora sommarturnéer runt om i Sverige.
Radiokören och Sveriges Radios symfoniorkester ligger Eskilsdotter varmt om hjärtat och när Radiokören för ett år sedan var på turné i södra Sverige följde Pernilla med. Hon har även presenterat både kören och orkestern och vid ett flertal önskekonserter där P2:s lyssnare varit med och valt sina favoriter. Pernilla Eskilsdotter bor i Växjö och har arbetat på Sveriges Radio sedan 1994. Under årens lopp har det resulterat i program i såväl P1, P2 som P4.
Programme
I. No. 54 – Coro: Herr, wenn die stolzen Feinde schnauben
II. No. 59 – Choral: Ich steh’ an deiner Krippen hier
III. No. 63 – Recitativo: Was will der Hölle Schrecken nun
IV. No. 64 – Choral: Nun seid ihr wohl gerochen
Arrangement by Chris Parkes
No. 2 Wolcum Yole!
No. 4b Balulalow
No. 6 This Little Babe
Approximate concert length: 1 h 15 mins
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