Listen To ‘Cosmogony’, A Collaboration Between Björk And Hamrahlíð Choir

Björk And Hamrahlíð Choir

We may need some soothing music after these tumultuous days and the incertain days ahead, and choir music can do this for you. The Hamrahlíð Choir, that counted Björk as a member when she was just a teenager, has released ‘Cosmogony,’ the first single from their upcoming album ‘Come and be Joyful.’

The song starts like an immersive beehive-noise experience while the entirely acapella piece is uplifting, churchy and moving at the same time. The multi-voices beautifully harmonize, and the 52 choristers produce a very unique and quite phenomenal sound over a hooky melody, flirty with Björk’s adventurous songwriting.

As a long-time collaborator and a fan of the choir’s work, the Icelandic singer-songwriter has featured the Hamrahlíð Choir on her 2017 ‘Utopia’ album, while they accompanied her around the world to perform at every live show during the ‘Cornucopia’ tour. As a matter of fact, ‘Cosmogony,’ that was written by Björk and Sjón, was first performed by the choir at the premiere performance of Björk’s Cornucopia show at The Shed, New York, last year.

The upcoming album ‘Come and be Joyful’ features Icelandic folk songs and two collaborative Björk covers – ‘Cosmogony’ and ‘Sonnets’ – based on Björk’s own arrangements.

‘We liked both of the songs very much, and when we were asked to perform at the Ceremony when Björk was honoured by The Society of Icelandic Composers and made an honorary member, we did Cosmogony and Sonnets,’ the choir declared. The Hamrahlíð Choir, whose former members include singer/songwriter Björk Guðmundsdóttir, pianist Víkingur Ólafsson, composer Haukur Tómasson (recipient of the Nordic Council Music Prize 2004), musicologist Árni Heimir Ingólfsson, and bass Kristinn Sigmundsson (a frequent guest at the Metropolitan Opera stage), has been at the forefront of Icelandic musical life for more than four decades. Formed in 1982 by Þorgerður Ingólfsdóttir, its members are former students at Hamrahlíð College in Reykjavík. And if many of them have no prior musical training, they have participated in music-making of the highest quality through diligent practice

Björk wrote: ‘I am so incredibly grateful that the hamrahlíð choir and it’s original conductor Þorgerður Ingólfsdóttir came on tour with me. I was myself in this choir when I was 16 and I think every single Icelandic musician you have ever heard of was brought up and musically baptised by this miraculous woman. She is a legend in Iceland and has guarded optimism and the light in the tumultuous times that teenagedom is. She has also encouraged and commissioned dozens of choral works from all of Iceland’s most prominent composers for half a century or so. I am absolutely beyond honoured’

‘Come and be Joyful’ will be out on December 6. Listen To ‘Cosmogony’ below:

Tracklist:

Ísland, farsælda frón (Iceland, Beloved Country)

Komdu nú að kveðast á (Make Verses, Maestro)

Vísur Vatnsenda-Rósu (Vatnsenda-Rósa ́s Verses)

Stóðum tvö í túni (We Stood in the Meadow)

Blástjarnan þó skarti skær (The Blue and Brightly Shining Star)

Veröld fláa sýnir sig (The Deceptive World)

Haldiðún Gróa hafi skó (Dance Song)

Sonnets

Cosmogony

Haustvísur til Máríu (Autumn Verses to the Virgin Mary)

Maríukvæði (A Mary Poem)

Vikivaki (The Lover in the Red Forest)

Í gleðinni (Come and Be Joyful)

Smávinir fagrir (Fair Little Friends)

You can preorder the album here

Follow Bjork here.

Visit The Hamrahlíð Choir website here