A Spotless Rose

Sofia Vokalensemble
Bengt Ollén
FR-060

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Bereden väg för Herran hear Anders Bond & Franz Michael Franzén

2:13

Nu väntar hela jorden hear Gunnar Hahn & Bo Setterlind

2:24

Advent Otto Olsson & Paul Nilsson (Organ: Henrik Arlestrand)

5:01

Madonnans vaggvisa Ingvar Lidholm, Lope de Vega, K.A. Hagberg (Soprano solo: Jeanette Köhn)

3:03

Marias vaggvisa hear Fredrik Sixten, Franz Gruber, Joseph Mohr, Oscar Mannström, Bo Setterlind (Soprano solo: Jeanette Köhn)

3:49

Corpus Christi Carol Trond Kverno

4:32

Guds son är född Otto Olsson

3:58

Serenity (O magnum mysterium) Ola Gjeilo (Violin: Bartosz Cajler)

6:04

Det hev ei rose sprunge Ola Gjeilo & Peter Hognestad

2:52

There Is No Rose of Such Vertu Fredrik Sixten

5:48

O magnum mysterium Jan Sandström

7:38

Julsång Hugo Alfvén & Knut Nyblom

3:23

Gläns över sjö och strand Ivar Widéen & Viktor Rydberg

1:55

Jul, jul, strålande jul Gustaf Nordqvist & Edvard Evers

2:54

Psalm 121 Otto Olsson (Organ: Henrik Arlestrand)

3:49

See more from the artists Sofia Vokalensemble - Bengt Ollén

A Spotless Rose is a solemn CD, containing classical and new Nordic Christmas music. Advent, the birth of Jesus, and Virgin Mary are the themes of the songs. Music by classical Swedish composers like Otto Olsson, Gustaf Nordqvist, Ivar Widéen, Gunnar Hahn and Hugo Alfvén is mixed with new compositions by the Norwegians Ola Gjeilo and Trond Kverno and the Swedes Ingvar Lidholm, Jan Sandström and Fredrik Sixten.

The ultimate Christmas song Silent Night is performed in an arrangement by Fredrik Sixten, who has added a melody called Mary’s Lullaby to a poem by Bo Setterlind. Commissioned by Sofia Vokalensemble is Fredrik Sixten’s There is no Rose of Such Vertu. This song and Jan Sandström’s O magnum mysterium are here premiered on CD.

A Spotless Rose is the second CD by Sofia Vokalensemble, after the much praised The Darkness Is No Darkness (FRCD 047). In recent years the ensemble has participated in several international choir competitions, where they have won gold medals, 2011 in the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing. The choir’s home is in Stockholm, Sweden.

The founder and conductor of Sofia Vokalensemble is Bengt Ollén, who is often invited to teach and conduct at choir festivals, workshops and concerts in Sweden and abroad.

Soprano soloist on this CD is Jeanette Köhn. Organist is Henrik Arlestrand. Violin is played by Bartosz Cajler.