So this week I want to introduce you to a 21st century choral piece called Northern Lights by Norwegian composer/pianist Ola Gjeilo. It’s incredible.
The text is the Latin Pulchra es amica mea, from Song of Solomon (in the Bible). Here is an English translation:
Thou art beautiful, O my love,
sweet and comely as Jerusalem,
terrible as an army set in array.
Turn away thy eyes from me,
for they have made me flee away.
Northern Lights is about beauty. The text and the music describe something serene and heartbreaking, a “terrible beauty,” according to Gjeilo; one that is captured in the essence of the aurora borealis.
You can read more about Gjeilo’s thoughts about this piece on his website.
I’m in love with this piece myself. Happy you’re getting it out there too.
I’m so glad you like this piece as well!
Fell madly in love with the “terrible beauty” of this piece, with Gjeilo’s music in general, and with the incomparable Voces8, all during the darkest days of the Covid pandemic. What a blessing his music is, so glad others are touched by it as well…
A blessing indeed! Thank you for your comment 🙂
Much appreciated Kathryn! Thanks for signposting to this wonderful piece.
I’m so glad you like it!
The chorus I am member of is learning this indeed wonderful piece …. It will be a pleasure to learn and sing it …
We already performed another creation of this composer Ubi Caritas .
Love this piece. Even though this is a Norwegian Composer it has a very “First Nations” feeling and rhythmic structure to it.