Winter Cantata / Vinterkantate (1976) by Per Nørgård for a variable ensemble of soloist mixed choir and instruments (minimum: vocalist and organ). Programme Note: When in 1975 I had finished composing my 3rd Symphony (begun in 1973) I wrote three simple melodies for two psalm texts by Ole Sarvig: ?The Year? and ?Choral Hymn?. These three tunes were derived from the same material as the second movement of the 3rd Symphony and could be harmonized together in several different tempo relationships at the same time - like fractals which inspired me to write several choral and instrumental works in the following decade based on thesemelodies: ?Frost Psalm? ?Winter Cantata? ? Winter Hymn? ?Cantica? and others. One of these ´Sarvig melodies´ is now included in the new Danish Hymnbook under the title ?Året?(The Year). Ole Sarvig´s poem ?Året? (The Year) is Danish perhaps Scandinavian in character but its symbolic atmosphere is global (now snow is covering the whole earth). The basic composition of this cantata based on Sarvig´s many verses was done by letting soloist choir and instruments change in feelings and moods: from the almost silent inward-looking beginning (I: Chorale dolorosa) to a dancelike and happy optimism (II: A heaven germ on winged foot thrust deep into the earth its root) followed by nightmarish tone rows as the ?year-wheel of fortune? is turning (III: Sacrifice The Year) and the temptations of the snake (IV: In Paradiso) to the allegorical fights between egoism and altruism (V:The Cycle Autumn. Purgatory) before the ?waiting for a disaster?- atmosphere at the end of this choral Odyssé. Winter Cantata was from the beginning (1976) designed as an open work to be arranged by different combinations of soloists choir and (different) instruments. The printed version by Per Nørgård and Ivan hansen for soloist mixed choir and instruments (obo violin trombone vibraphone/percussion and organ) is from 1990. The work

The Welsh traditional song Suo Gân is here arranged for SATB Chorus and Organ Accompaniment by Stephen Cleobury. Written by an anonymous composer, in Welsh it literally means 'Lullaby'. This beautiful arrangement is sure to be a favourite with audiences and choirs alike. It features lyrics in both English and Welsh.This traditional Welsh song has been a favourite within the repertoire for many years, after having been first documented by folklorist Robert Bryan. With versions sung by Charlotte Church, Katherine Jenkins and the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Suo Gân is one of the most recognisable and well-loved tunes in the Welsh and English repertoire. This new arrangement by Stephen Cleobury will be a welcome addition to any choir's performance, with the combination of such a new take on an established classic with simple beautiful music. / Choeur Mixte (SATB) Et Orgue

To H.C. Andersen Poesier - Two Poems by Hans Christian Andersen arranged to music by Per Nørgård for SATB choir and SSA choir. 1. Lysets færdreland / The Native Land of Light (for mixed chorus SATB)2. Løft mig kun bort / Come lift me up (for mixed chorus SSA*) *) the second movement may be performed by a children’s chorus or by the female voices (SSA) from a mixed chorus Programme note From my very first aquaintance with these Andersen poems I was deeply moved by the simple almost naive yet evocative imagery with which Andersenrealized his visions images like: “The Melody of the Heart” “The Poem of Beauty” “A Spiritual Hindustan” “Fly Death over the Sea of Time fly to Eternal Summer”. Along with this “childishness” Hans Christian Andersen’s poetry encompasses enormous – almost Willim Blake-ish – cosmic visions in the interpolations between e.g. “reaching the Heaven” as opposed to “you’ll find it in a Rosebud” or the juxtaposition of “Everyday Life” and “Eternal Poetry” - which become one. Thus the music came to life in my immediate encounter with these words which almost sang themselves into my Musical Furnace – if you will. Per Nørgård

3 Hymnic Dispositions- 3 Hymniske Ansatser (3 Hymnic Dispositions) for mixed choir SATB was composed by Per Nørgård in 1985-86. The work consists of music composed to 3 poems e.g.  Gunnar Ekelöf ´Komposition (Composition)   Thøger Larsen ´Strandvalmue´(´Beach Poppy´)  Rainer Maria Rilke ´Die Parke´(´The Parks´)    Programme note Just as the three movements in their succession move from the sea (Ekelöf) across the beach (Larsen) and into the country to the parks (Rilke) in an analogous wayeach of the three movements in their point of departure is hymnic in character - but later on moves into the more varied and complex tone paths of the inner regions of the mind.  3 Hymniske Ansatser (3 Hymnic Dispositions) is sung in Swedish (1. Komposition” Gunnar Ekelöf) in Danish (2. Strandvalmue” Thøger Larsen) and in German (3. “Die Parke” R.M. Rilke). The work could be performed in a programme with 'Prelude to Breaking' performed after this instrumental piece.  Per Nørgård 

Ubrudt Forår - Korsuite for blandet kor (SSATB) af Per Nørgård til tekster af Piet Hein. Bestilt af og komponeret til Saul Zaks & Syddansk Universitets Kammerkor i 2009. Programnote Blandt multitalentet Piet Heins mange fremragende kreative indsatser har Grukteksterne nok opnået den største folkelige yndest. Nogle af disse korte fyndige tekster fx Lille Kat har opnået status som – havde jeg nær sagt – ”leveregler” eller visdomsord på dansk – noget der næppe er overgået nogen anden dansk forfatter sidenH.C. Andersen. Disse spidsfindige og forfinede tekster med deres ofte overraskende pointer har dog ikke nogen tiltrækningskraft for undertegnede – som komponist. Piet Heins sprogligedragt er så perfekt i ren prosagengivelse at enhver tilføjelse – fx i form af melodisk gevandt – ville forringe hvad der allerede er fuldkomment. I denne korcyklus er derimod de fire digte (eller fragmenter af digte) udvalgt ud fra teksternes naturnære sanselighed som umiddelbart appellerer – i hvert fald hos mig – til melodisk nuancering og sangbar linieføring. Alle fire tekster er besyngelser af skabelse og vækst – deraf titlen som er hentet fra den femte korsang Ubrudt Forår.En anden sang ligeledes med Piet Hein-tekst drømte jeg (bogstavelig talt) tilbage i 1960’erne. Den hedder Du skal plante et træ og rummer tre vers der her i cyklus’enblandt de tre nye sange indleder genkommer og til sidst afslutter sangkredsen. De seks sanges lige-ud-ad-landevejen rækkefølge: 1-2-3-4-5-6 følges op af den ’baglæns’ følge: 5-4-3-2-1 således at antallet af satser udvides til 11. Men følgen af klanglige

Per Nørgård's Aftonland is scored for SATB Choir a cappella. Based on a text by Par Lagerkvist.

Blessed is the man-Blazhèn Muzh (Blessed Is The Man) is a work by Sergei Rachmaninoff for Unaccompanied SATB Choir. From the 'All-Night Vigil ' this is the Vocal Score featuring a pronunciation guide and an explanation of the transliteration and translation. The lyrics are in the original and a phonetic transliteration.

The Disturbing Duckling-D'Monstrantz Vöögeli (The Disturbing Duckling) by Per Nørgård. Work for bird voices (CD) and human voices (12 SATB soloists) with text (sung in German) by Adolf Wölfli (1864-1930). A CD of Bird Song is available separately - use product code KP00830. Text (sung in German): Adolf Wölfli (1864-1930).Programme note:'D´Monstrantz Vöögeli' is the main (and middle) movement of my three-movement choir suite 'The Alarming Duckling' the title of which is borrowed from a painting from 1959 by the Danish artist Asger Jorn apainting which - as this choral piece - is partly based on 'found objects': Asger Jorn painted on top of an idyllic old fashioned landscape painting with a house and trees - and he painted a very disturbing alarming duckling. It may be ugly the duckling but in any case it is most peculiar in its surroundings with spontaneous colorful wide painted feathers standing and looking dreamy beyond a birch in the golden light of the afternoon (a very big duckling indeed!) In 'D´Monstrantz Vöögeli' the dark nightly visions are unfolding with texts by the Swiss schizophrenic artist Adolf Wölfli (1864-1930). His transcending poems prose paintings and ideas inspired me for many compositions in the 1980s i.e. Symphony nr. 4 ('Indischer Roosen-Gaarten und Chinesischer Hexensee' - Hommage a Wölfli') The opera The Divine Circus and a series of choral works. The piece is written for 12 vocal soloists - singing whistling screaming and whispering. In 'D´Monstrantz Vöögeli' - for a choir of humans and birds - many 'found objects' are used: The tape/cd only contributes with unmanufactured birdsong - even though using full half and fourth speed so it is easier to understand and learn from the brilliant birds (especially the fantastic American Musician Wren

Für Gemischten Chor 3-F?nf Pop-Songs f?r gemischten Chor SATB a cappella. Band 3 aus der Reihe Sing'n'Swing. Chorpartitur. Mit Akkordsymbolen und Gitarren-Diagrammen.

Per Nørgård's 2 Nocturnes - for 12 voices (2003) 1. Summer's Sleep (text: Ole Sarvig) 2. Michael's Night (text: Ib Michael) English version. Programme note:These two choral pieces for 12 voices consists of radical recompositions on of earlier themes: in Summer's Sleep we hear new combinations of two 'Sarvig melodies' from the 1970s (one of which is now in the Danish Hymnbook under the title 'Året' The Year); Michael's Night is based on an earlier simple choral song (Star Mirror 1987) now for 12 voices and composed such that an originalidea of 'simultaneously displaced opposite motions' cf. the poem) comes out as desired. Of the Nocturnes Nørgård writes: 'Summer's Sleep was composed to stanzas of Ole Sarvig's poem The Year (from the collection Forstadsdigte ('Suburban Poems')) and forms the picture of 'the summer of life' which is asleep - while the 'heaven seed' waits for the summer wind ('invisible to every mind'). The many layers of text are expressed musically in a multilayered choral texture with 'looks' up and down through the various tempo and time-worlds: summer sleep summer dream. 'The second nocturne Michael's Night takes its name from the author Ib Michael whose poem Star Mirror (from the collection Himmelbegravelse ('Sky Funeral') (1986) I pushed/coaxed him to expand from one to nine stanzas. The four selected stanzas set in the nocturne focus on the pan-erotic elements of the moonlit starlit night. With the titles I have chosen I have stressed the mythic layer of the text the summer night not as a dream but as sensual reality. 'The two nocturnes are dedicated to Ivan Hansen on the occasion of his fiftieth birthday on 25th February 2003 out of gratitude for over a quarter of a century of inspiring collaboration'. Danish version available: KP01444

Der 55. Psalm-Zoltán Kodály: Psalmus Hungaricus Op.13 (Psalm 55) for tenor soloist satb choir children's choir (ad lib.) and orchestra.

I hear the rain was composed for Mixed Chorus SATB and Percussion by Per Nørgård with lyrics by Michael Strunge.

Für Gemischten Chor 4-F?nf Pop-Songs f?r gemischten Chor SATB a cappella. Band 4 aus der Reihe Sing'n'Swing. Chorpartitur. Mit Akkordsymbolen und Gitarren-Diagrammen.