Advent Calendar 2008: December 10

Advent Calendar 2008

December 10th

Dag Trygve Henriksen, 10.12.2008

This time a composition for male choir, written by Friedrich August Reissiger (1809-1883). It is called En sangers Bøn (A Singer's Prayer). Reissiger was of German heritage, but immigrated to Norway in 1840 to become Kapellmeister at the Christana Theatre. He had his music education from Berlin, but as a boy, he was a pupil of the Thomas School in Leipzig, the school where Bach was employed in the 18th. Century. In 1842, Reissiger founded a song institute in Christiania where he performed oratorios and other choral works. In 1850, he became Organist in Fredrikshald, as well as conducter for the military band and the Halden Choir. His compositions shows a thoroug training in the german musical tradition althoug he also was deeply interrested in Norwegian folk music.

Reissiger wrote En Sangers Bøn in 1865 to text by Norwegian poet Johann Sebastian Welhaven. It is not a Christmas Carol, but the song is anyway suitable at Christmas time. The recording was made in 1927 by the Guldberg Accademic Choir, conducted by Arild Sandvold. It was issued on His Master's Voice X 2504 with matrix number Bb10871-2.