Estimated duration

2 h, incl. intermission

Organizer

Akademiska Damkören Lyran

Skuggspel (eng. Shadow Play) is Akademiska Damkören Lyran’s 80th anniversary concert. The overarching theme is freedom and resilience.

Akademiska Damkören Lyran was founded in 1946 and is today one of Finland’s leading choirs. Skuggspel (eng. Shadow Play) is Akademiska Damkören Lyran’s 80th anniversary concert. The overarching theme is freedom and resilience: the ability to move through difficult and demanding situations or periods, and to find hope and light in such times in order to endure and emerge from them.

Shadows can be interpreted in many ways – a shadow can be frightening and represent darkness and fear as well as gloomy states of mind. On the other hand, there are no shadows without light. Shadows are present during the bright moments of the day and can possess a playful character. By combining the different facets of shadows, a richly nuanced whole is formed – shadow play.

In the first part of the concert, Skymning (eng. Dusk), darkness, adversity, loss, and pain are explored through works by Karin Rehnqvist, David Lang, Ester Mägi, Alex Freeman, and Veljo Tormis. In the second part, Gryning (eng. Dawn), the focus turns toward a brighter future and the awareness that darkness can be overcome. The second part of the concert includes the premieres of two works written specifically for Lyran’s 80th anniversary.

Olli Saari has composed the work Hope for women’s choir and organ, based on poems by Emily Dickinson that address themes central to the concert, such as darkness and hope. Newly written music for women’s choir and organ is rare, making this commissioned work a unique opportunity to experience something seldom heard on concert stages. The second commissioned work, Här kan jag andas, is composed by Andrea Eklund with text by Amanda Henriksson, both of them Lyran alumni. The work portrays an inner journey in which stillness, nature, and breathing become a counterforce to doubt and heaviness, and where strength grows out of vulnerability.

To conclude the concert, around 100 Lyran alumni join the active choir in celebration of the 80th anniversary concert. This so-called “anniversary choir”, led by Lyran’s former conductors, performs core repertoire that has been an essential part of Lyran’s history for several decades.

The concert is conducted by Riku Larikka.

lyran-rf.com
A support ticket includes both admission to the concert and a financial contribution that goes directly to the choir’s activities.