HYMN
– for high soprano, mixed chorus and orchestra
duration approx 5 min
Vakna, min själ,
vakna, harpa och lyra,
jag vill väcka morgonrodnaden.
Jag vill tacka dig, Herre, bland folken,
jag vill sjunga ditt lov bland alla folk.
Ty till himlen når din godhet,
till skyarna din trofasthet.
Visa din höghet i himlen, o Gud,
och din härlighet över hela jorden!
(Psaltaren 57: 9-12)
Bär mig som ett sigill vid ditt hjärta,
som ett sigill vid din arm –
(Höga visan 8:6)
Awake, my soul,
awake, harp and lyre,
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love, reaching to the heavens,
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
let your glory be over all the earth!
(Psalm 57: 9-12)
Place me like a seal over your heart,
Like a seal on your arm –
(Song of Songs 8:10)
Magnificent choral parts, colorful orchestral score full of joyous trills interspersed with the occasional musical bird chirp, and concluding with the voice of a soprano soaring to unimaginable heights.
That is Hymn, composed for the wedding of Swedish Crown Princess Victoria to Daniel Westling, in the Stockholm cathedral, Storkyrkan, on June 19, 2010.
The Swedish Royal Academy of Music commissioned Hymn as a gift to the bride and groom.
It was premiered by Jeanette Köhn, soprano, The Gustaf Sjökvist Chamber Choir (the cathedral choir), and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gustaf Sjökvist.
Karin Rehnqvist