On Friday, October 31st, Oslo Opera Festival will take over the grand hall of Oslo, the University Aula for one night only. The concert will feature Ketil Bjornstad, Hakon Kornstad and many more performing Ketil Bjornstad’s “A Passion for John Donne”.
John Donne was a poet of religion, metaphysics and the world of sensations. After having worked with John Donne’s poesy for many years, Ketil Bjornstad continues to find new dimensions in his poetry and texts, and in it he also finds music.
The language, rhythms, the silence between the sentences – a wish to find understanding and comfort in the human presence here on earth, Donne’s dramatic life is reflected in the texts, and in them rests a source of passion and music.
Three years ago Oslo International Church Music Festival invited Bjornstad to compose a passion of our time, and so this tribute to the English priest and poet came to be.
The work was premiered in Sofienberg Church, Oslo, on 16 March 2012.
Gjoril Songvoll, the festival manager, says, “The aim of the festival is to make opera more familiar to the people.” She believes that the reason many people have prejudices against opera is that they have little knowledge of it.
“I think opera is just as important as sports and other forms of entertainment, and this message will be communicated throughout the festival,” Gjoril concludes.
Photo of Festival Director Gjoril Songvoll by Tor Kjolberg (feature image on top)
The concert begins at 7pm. For tickets please visit: Billettservice.
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