Jacob Anderskov ’I sang’ & Århus Sinfonietta (DK)

A Unique Fusion of Improvisation, Composition, and Community Singing

OBS: The concert has been moved from Skt. Lukas church to Skt. Pauls church

“The familiar grains of sand in the songs can form new universes”. These words, along with five hearts in Politiken, were said about pianist and composer Jacob Anderskov when he first published several selected folk high school songs with new jazz avant-garde colors. He has now added further color to the songs with new arrangements for both improvisational and classical musicians, and his newly written piece titled I sang will premiere at Aarhus Jazz Festival 2024.

'In Song' transforms the well-known song universe of the Folk High School Songbook into a musical experience that both surprises and resonates. In addition to listening and feeling, the audience is invited to sing along to songs such as "Jeg ved en lærkerede", "Du danske sommer", and "Danmark nu blunder den lyse nat". When and how the sing-along will happen in the concert hall remains to be seen. It will happen when it happens. In the improvisational community and under the expert guidance of the concert's seasoned musicians.

I sang will be performed with Jacob Anderskov at the piano, Anderskov's jazz quintet, and musicians from Århus Sinfonietta. This musical collaboration is a continuation of Jacob Anderskov's work with the ensemble Resonans, for which he was nominated for the Nordic Council Music Prize in 2018.

About Jacob Anderskov
Jacob Anderskov grew up in Nørre Nissum near Lemvig as the son of a seminary teacher and was raised on a mixture of folk songs, jazz, classical, and folk music from many countries. Since then, he has completed a conservatory education, a music professorship, and an international career with a host of awards for his many innovative jazz releases. However, the folk songbook tradition has always been a part of him. Thøger Larsen - the poet behind some of our greatest national classics (including "Danmark, nu blunder den lyse nat" and "Du danske sommer") - lived just a few kilometers from his childhood home. As a result, childhood landscapes of tradition, weather, and summer nights are brought to life in Jacob Anderskov's work and the newly released album entitled I sang.

About Århus Sinfonietta
Århus Sinfonietta is a modern, classical ensemble consisting of 19 permanent musicians. Committed to promoting experimental Danish and international music, the Sinfonietta annually commissions and performs new pieces of contemporary music focusing on co-creation and collaborations with other players. They follow the motto that contemporary music should be created collectively with multiple perspectives in mind to avoid shutting ourselves off and sticking to the familiar. 

Århus Sinfonietta was founded in 1990 by a group of musicians from Aarhus Symphony Orchestra and Det Jyske Ensemble in collaboration with composer Hans Abrahamsen. Since then, they have had several prominent artistic leaders, including Allan Gravgaard Madsen and Jakob Kullberg. Since 2023, however, the artistic direction of the ensemble has been set by an artistic committee and external curators on a project basis.

The concert is a collaboration between Aarhus Jazz Festival, Aarhus Sinfonietta, and Erlings Jazz- og Ølbar