Arstiderne (The Seasons): 28 Danish Songs

Following a series of military and economic defeats in the early 19th century, an enterprising group of teachers, pastors and writers set about to revive the Danish national spirit, and subsequently developed the ‘folkehojskole’ (Folk High School). The movement’s chief architect, the poet, philosopher, and pastor, N. F. S. Grundtvig, knew the value of singing for creating a sense of community, and so in 1894 the ?rst Hojskolesangbogen (High School Songbook) was published. A substantial revised edition was published in 1922, including many melodies by the famous composer Carl Nielsen. Today the collection includes 572 songs with 2.4 million copies sold and is the most popular songbook in the country. The natural choice for performing this treasury of Danish song was the Danish National Vocal Ensemble, the elite choir of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR). With two Grammy nominations and the prestigious German ECHO Award for the CD The Nightingale, (recorded with recorder virtuoso Michala Petri), their luminous sound provides the perfect frame for these simple, heartfelt expressions of the Danish soul.