“A
new way to sing hymns and religious songs” says the front cover;
something that was true when the majority of the songs on this
disc were first published on LP in 1981. The actual reason for
the new approach to hymns and religious songs was the new edition
of ‘The Swedish Book of Hymns’ in 1976. Many long-established
hymns which were regarded as too old-fashioned and unintelligible
for modern generations had disappeared, others had gone through
drastic textual revisions. There were also many newly written
hymns, often in a modern idiom, closer to the popular songs
of the day. In addition several well known and loved songs from
the Free Church song books were also incorporated. There are
examples of all these categories on this disc. In order to attract
a younger generation of church visitors, who regarded the traditional
hymns as too stern and forbidding and didn’t take to the organ
accompaniments, there was a need to find alternative ways of
presenting the music. Arrangers like Bengt Berg and Anders Öhrwall,
to mention just two, contributed very successfully to this.
The recipe was, as can be heard here: a lighter touch, lively
speeds, translucent instrumentation (flutes and guitar) and
a perceptible pulse (double bass). Just occasionally we hear
the organ. Unfortunately there is nowhere in the booklet any
mentioning of the players. I would also have liked to find composers
and authors named. What we get are the numbers for each hymn
and song in the Swedish Hymn Book.
The
choice of hymns is good. Several of them do not belong to the
top-20 list while there are also some that practically every
Swede, church-goer or not, must know. Tracks 11, 12, 16, 20 and 22 definitely belong in this category. O
store Gud (track 22) has an interesting background. It was written by the young Swedish priest Carl Boberg (1859 – 1940)
on a warm summer’s day in 1885. He had witnessed a heavy thunderstorm
and when the sun came out again he felt he had witnessed the
greatness of God. It was first sung in 1888 and reached some
popularity but fell into oblivion in Sweden. Some immigrant to North America brought it across the Atlantic, where it appeared under the title
How Great Thou Art, and in the 1950s Billy Graham discovered
it and made it his signature song. A Swedish visitor to one
of his meetings brought it back to Sweden
and wanted it translated into Swedish but then somebody recognized
the song and knew that it was originally Swedish. Through recordings
by among others Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton it has become
known all over the world. It is perhaps the only song on this
disc that non-Swedish listeners may recognize.
The
arranger Bengt Berg is known first and foremost as an organist.
He studied for Alf Linder and later in Belgium
for Flor Peters and has made several recordings.
The
quality of this disc is extremely high. Proprius, founded by
Jacob Boëtius, who died earlier this year, was originally a
publishing company but in the 1970s Boëtius also started issuing
LPs, specializing in organ and choral records. Thanks to recording
engineer Bertil Alving the company soon became famous for the
realistic reproduction of the organ sound, so notoriously difficult
to catch on record. This 25-year-old recording, now refurbished
and remastered in SACD 4.0 is still fresh as paint. Hearing
it in surround sound is like being transported to Österhaninge
Church where it was recorded.
The
Stockholm Cathedral Choir, whose home is Storkyrkan in the Old Town, a stone’s throw
from the Royal
Castle, has long been one of the foremost
choirs in a country where almost one million people (out of
a population of nine million) are supposed to sing in choirs.
Led by Gustaf Sjökvist, one of the most versatile musicians
in Sweden who collaborates with musicians from all camps, they sing these hymns
with obvious affection, keen rhythms and exemplary precision
and enunciation. I can’t believe anyone with an interest in
hymns will be disappointed. The last four tracks were recorded
a few years later by Johannes Youth Choir, who also sing well,
conducted by another important choral expert, Anders Eby. Both
he and Sjökvist have been principal conductors of the Swedish
Radio Choir.
There
are full Swedish texts and excellent, none too literal English
translations. Maybe the disc shouldn’t be played straight through
at one sitting. Taken five or six at a time these hymns, always
melodic (some tunes are really catchy), should be enlightening
and stimulating, not only to Swedish-speaking listeners. Personally
I found great satisfaction in this reunion with repertoire that
I was deeply involved in some 15 years ago, when I put together
and presented a programme with some of these and other hymns
“with a story” at a series of concerts and also on the radio.
Recommended.
Göran Forsling
Stockholm Cathedral Choir/Gustaf Sjökvist (tr 1 – 20); Johannes Youth
Choir/Anders Eby (tr 21 – 24) both choirs with unnamed instrumentalists
[64:51]
