Hamrahlid Choir Come And Be Joyful

The Hamrahlid Choir has been at the forefront of Icelandic musical life for more than four decades. Its members are former students at Hamrahlid College in Reykjavík, where Pergerour Ingolfsdottir formed a choir in 1967 and was its conductor until 2017. This was among the first college choirs in Iceland, and has maintained its leading position ever since.In 1982, Pergerour formed the Hamrahlid Choir, an ensemble made up of graduates of the college choir, and she has been its conductor ever since. More than 2,500 Icelandic teenagers have come into contact with classical music through the Hamrahlid choral experience. Many of these have had no prior musical training, but through diligent practice they have gone on to participate in music-making of the highest quality, from new Icelandic compositions to the choral masterworks of Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart.The Hamrahlid Choir has been a breeding ground for many of Iceland's leading singers, instrumentalists, and composers. Alongside Björk, the many musicians who are former members of the choir include pianist Vikingur Olafsson, composer Haukur Tómasson (recipient of the Nordic Council Music Prize 2004), musicologist Arni Heimir Ingólfsson, and bass Kristinn Sigmundsson (a frequent guest at the Metropolitan Opera stage).Although the Hamrahlid Choir is primarily devoted to musical education, it has from the very beginning been dedicated to giving performances of the highest quality. The choir sings with a pure, flexible, well-blended sound, and it performs with exuberance and a youthful sense of discovery. Critics throughout the world have praised its accurate intonation, clear diction, and the high level of enthusiasm and commitment that are among the hallmarks of the choir's music-making.Throughout its history, the choir has collaborated closely with Icelandic composers. Over 100 works have been composed especially for the choir, including works by virtually all of Iceland's leading composers. Apart from its close association with native composers,...