Norwegian Choirs Tradition

The oldest material proof of vocal music in Norway belongs to the 12^th century, and as in all European vocal singing, it was refined in monasteries and also in the education centers and also the initial purpose religious.

source of picture: pages.stolaf.edu

Both the Catholic year and later the Lutheran reform of the vocal singing were essential. Though, the beginning of the Norwegian custom of vocal singing itself takes place in the time of 19^th century.

On the other hand, the cession of the Norway from Denmark to Sweden brought a strong nationalist cultural motivation (Norskhetsbegerstring) and on the other hand, Hans George Nageli ideas from 1773 to 1836 Swiss and also Karl Friedrich Zelter from 1758 to 1832 (Germany) had given vocal singing presumed to be mainly effective means of demolition of culture. This custom is a collective work of singing teachers, vocal music publications, composers and conductors. Roverud, Lindeman, Conradi, Reissiger, Behrens and Kjerulf were some of the people that established this Norwegian customs before E. Grieg. They took more than one position in this difficult socio-cultural establishment, but each has a special value.

The major contribution of L.M Lindeman was his collection of traditional music and hymnody collections, as well as the institute of a school for organists in 1883, which later became the Conservatory of Oslo. Conradi, Kjerulf and Behren were the three directors of the choirs and vocal society coordinators, but later Kjerulf left out as a composer, leaving more than 170 vocal pieces, mainly for male quartet. Conradi and Behrens rather had a social position by coordinating festivals of choirs and vocal societies as the Craftsmen choir and the Businessmen choirs, as well as the Norwegian student’s choir in both Oslo and steadily in the regions. Behrens has a unique status for having published collections of Norwegian composers; over 500 songs in his volumes of compilations of parts songs for Males Voices.

The very influential year of these artists was in the second half of the 19^th century, a time when the popularity of vocal singing spread all over Norway, especially male singing of four voices. Evidence of this, is the legacy of the coral which was led by the United States, especially since the initiation of the St. Olaf College Choir by F. Melius Christiansen in the year 1912.

The vocal custom has since been put upon to strengthen the Norwegian identity. Reisssiger, Conradi and Kjerulf wrote the vocal music with texts by Norwegian writers such as Bjornson and Ibsen that later wrote the purpose of their texts that is added to music. The 19^th century is a period of intense teamwork between writers and composers, to use the existing popuarity of musical societies and especially the male groups that were mainly famous from 1840s. A second group of conductors and composer continued this custom until the beginning of the 20^th century which includes Andreas Olaus Grondahi who is from Oslo and from Bergen is Igolf Schjptt. The fame of the vocal societies and vocal festivals lead to the first contests or campaigns from 1850s. In 1878 the vocal society held its first student participation outside Scandinavia which brings Norwegian music and texts to Paris and this also bring a way to expose and show the Norwegian cultures.

The motivation of the nationalist was exposed in the music of Greig. The changing in the 20^th century, in spite the custom that keeps coral Norwegian gradually changes; especially after the World War II, when the romantic ideals are neglected. The new group of composers includes Sommerfeldt, Egge and Nysted. These composers are still influenced by Greig and found encouraging but not in national element only but in general to present day world order movements are always influencing the modern composers.

Lastly, more recent periods of economic affluence among the Norwegians brought a second prosperous of vocal music spread, within and outside the capital. Volda for instance, a town east of only about 6000 population in western Norway has about 20 active choirs.