Fem Får, Fire Geder

Item details

Description +
- "Five Sheep, Four Goats" consists of 9 choral arrangements of melodies from the Danish folk music tradition.
  
  Danish folk music can be traced back many years and has experienced a recent wave of new interest, especially among the younger generation. With events like ROD, FOD, and Nordisk Dans, folk music is once again brought to life among the younger generations as the dance floor heats up all night, with violins, accordions, flutes, and other instruments playing along.
  
  With "Five Sheep, Four Goats," I have attempted to transfer a tradition from our neighboring countries, Norway and Sweden, namely singing folk music in choir, and thereby contribute my own touch to the Danish singing tradition. In this release, I have tried to use a singing style that fits the Danish language, hence you won't find rolling Rs, as you might do in Swedish arrangements. Another small note about the language is that diphthongs are generally quick meaning, for example, in "dai," you quickly shift to the 'i', or in "dam," you linger on the 'm'. Additionally, it is allowed to deviate from the written text if something else is deemed easier to sing. I have selected melodies from different regions of Denmark and included folk dances of various types, including couple, circle, and line dances. This way, the choir arrangements can also be used as an icebreaker for your choir, allowing them to learn the corresponding dance(s). The dances vary in difficulty and are presented in this release from the easiest to the most challenging. I have chosen not to include written dance descriptions in this release, as they, in my experience, often are difficult to understand unless one is an experienced folk dancer. Feel free to contact me if you need help with the dances or would like me to come and instruct; otherwise, I suggest finding videos online or keeping an eye on the website www.folkedansforfremtiden.dk – a project aimed at creating video material for all Danish folk dances. It is regularly updated, although I am not directly involved in the project.
  
  To accommodate as many choirs as possible, all arrangements are available in the original acapella versions, as well as four simplified versions where accompaniment can be added. Generally, I have tried to limit written dynamics and the like to provide greater freedom to play around with the music. Thus, choir leaders have complete freedom to shape the arrangements as they wish, for example, by experimenting with form and repetitions or omitting voices - everything is possible!
  
  With this release, I hope that even more people can discover Danish folk music and dance, and the immense joy of coming together with a language we all understand – namely, music.
  
  Cecilie Holst
Instrumentation +
- For Mixed Choir
About the composer +
- Cecilie Holst (born 1996) is a trained pianist and conductor, having graduated from the Royal Academy of Music Aarhus under the guidance of Carsten Seyer-Hansen and Søren Kinch Hansen. She was born and raised in the countryside of Southern Jutland, in a home without musicians but filled with music. Her first musical interest emerged at an early age when she joined a children's choir in the local church. She briefly explored both the violin and recorder before the piano captured her final interest at the age of 12. At 13, she joined the Haderslev Cathedral Girls' Choir, and her musical passion truly took off. Five years later, she enrolled in MGK South for classical piano. She discovered Danish folk music while studying at MGK when she was persuaded to participate in the folk music festival ROD in 2018. Since then, folk dancing has been a strong companion alongside her musical pursuits and education. Since 2019, she has also ventured out as a folk dance instructor.
Credits +
- Front Cover and Graphics: Nicola Lee
  Photo: Nikolaj Frømsdorf Bache Schou
  Engraving: Cecilie Holst
  Text: Anne Marie Leth Michaelsen
  Translation: Ida Guldberg Larsen
  Printed in Copenhagen, Denmark
  Copyright © Edition SVITZER
  www.editionsvitzer.com

Item details

Related publications