Arne Mellnäs

The Rilke Ensemble, under the direction of Gunnar Eriksson, was appointed Choir of the Year in 2004. One of Sweden’s most distinguished vocal ensembles, recently returned from the Zagreb Biennal, presents choral music by Arne Mellnäs (1933-2002) on their new CD. In addition to The Rilke Ensemble, the CD features mezzosoprano Mia Edvardson and cellist Christian Berg. ” From the very beginning, Arne Mellnäs` choral music was a reflection of hbis surroundings; he quickly adopted new ideas and fashioned them in his own personal language.

This CD was meant to be a gift to Arne on his 70th birthday, a day he unfortunately did not live to see. His passing is a great loss, to me personally and to the world of choral singing. But it is a consolation that his music will be sung and played by new generations. It will posess a life of its own in a future that no one can foresee. Not a single note was in vain” Gunnar Eriksson “An eventful listening experience with lots of humorand variety, showcasing the skillful management of deceptively simple means” Uppsala Nya Tidning “Incredibly delightful!” Nerikes Allehanda.