"A Christmas Cantata" - English carols, jazz music and Swedish folk arranged by Nils Lindberg.

 

Olle Persson, vocals; Margareta Jalkéus, vocals. Nils Lindberg Big Band.

Nils Lindberg, piano, composer & arranger. 

Gustaf Sjökvist Chamber Choir / Gustaf Sjökvist.

 

When Nils Lindberg came to Stockholm in the 1950s to study music he knew exactly what he wanted to do: first he would study at the Royal Academy of Music and then he would compose major symphonic works. But he brought with him folk music and church music from his native province of Dalarna (Dalecarlia) where the composer Oskar Lindberg was a major influence. A chance visit a famous Swedish jazz club, where a friend had secretly signed Nils up for a jam session, changed his career. His brilliance as a pianist was evident and he was immediately engaged for some jazz recordings. When he had finished his studies with Lars-Erik Larsson and Karl Birger Blomdahl at the Academy, at the end of the fifties Nils Lindberg’s music developed into a unique mixture of the directness of folk music, the forms and harmony of classical music and the rhythms and improvisatory freedom of jazz.

 

Nils Lindberg’s "A Christmas Cantata" is a exciting mix of different genres - English carols, jazz music and Swedish folk music - exquisitely arranged by Lindberg for choir, two vocal soloists and Big Band. The Lyrics are adapted from e.g. St Matthew, St John and St Luke. The work includes some of the most famous English carols such as "Ding, Dong Merrily on High", sung in English.

 

Olle Persson is a well-established opera singer and Margareta Jalkéus is a member of the popular vocal ensemble The Real Group. Nils Lindberg Big Band consists of Swedish top of the line jazz musicians.

 

Live recording from Storkyrkan in Stockholm.