Grex Vocalis (The Singing Band) is a Norwegian

chamber choir A chamber choir is a small or medium-sized choir of roughly 8 to 40 singers (occasionally called "chamber singers"), typically singing classical or religious music in a concert setting.Riemann, Hugo. Dictionary of Music'. Trans. J.A. Shedlock. A ...

, formed in 1971 by Carl Høgset. The repertoire spans from the renaissance to music by contemporary composers. The choir has been awarded the Norwegian

Spellemannprisen The Spellemannprisen (also referred to as the Norwegian Grammy Awards) is a Norwegian music award ceremony presented by International Federation of the Phonographic Industry#Local associations, IFPI Norge and :no:FONO, FONO. It was first awarded i ...

prize (the Norwegian equivalent to a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

) for three of its thirteen albums (in 1977, 1983, and 2006) and has won first prizes in national and international contests (

Arezzo Arezzo ( , ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Italy and the capital of the Province of Arezzo, province of the same name located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about southeast of Florence at an elevation of Above mean sea level, above sea level. As of 2 ...

Gorizia Gorizia (; ; , ; ; ) is a town and (municipality) in northeastern Italy, in the autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It is located at the foot of the Julian Alps, bordering Slovenia. It is the capital of the Province of Gorizia, Region ...

, Tolosa and the International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf). In 1999 Grex Vocalis was awarded ''Il Gran Premio Città di Arezzo'' as the overall best choir in that year's contest. Grex Vocalis is primarily an

a cappella Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

, comprising ca. 35 singers, but performs on occasion also with soloists and orchestras. They have toured extensively in Europe, and also given a series of concerts in Japan and Cuba.

History

Over the years Grex Vocalis has commissioned and premiered works by several Norwegian composers, including Knut Nystedt, Trond Kverno and Arne Nordheim. In 1994 the choir took part in the stage production of Arne Nordheim's monumental ''Draumkvedet'', which with the Norwegian Broadcasting Radio Orchestra and soloists was performed 40 times. They have also performed important baroque works like Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610,

Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, H ...

Messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including the or ...

Christmas Oratorio The ''Christmas Oratorio'' (German: ''Weihnachtsoratorium''), , is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach intended for performance in church during the Christmas season. It is in six parts, each part a cantata intended for performance in a churc ...

, Rameau's '' In convertendo'' and ''Quam dilecta'', Charpentier's ''

Te Deum The ( or , ; from its incipit, ) is a Latin Christian hymn traditionally ascribed to a date before AD 500, but perhaps with antecedents that place it much earlier. It is central to the Ambrosian hymnal, which spread throughout the Latin ...

'', Lully's ''Te Deum'', Delalande's ''Te Deum'', etc., with orchestras and soloists. Collaboration projects with Oslo Cathedral Choir and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra have led to performances of larger works like

Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, often set within studied ye ...

Requiem A Requiem (Latin: ''rest'') or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead () or Mass of the dead (), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the souls of the deceased, using a particular form of the Roman Missal. It is ...

, Penderecki's St. Luke Passion and

Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma, to a family of moderate means, recei ...

's ''Quattro Pezzi Sacri''. The first Norwegian recording of

was released in 1997 with Grex Vocalis and Oslo Baroque Orchestra. The choir's latest CDs, including "Magnum Mysterium" with Christmas music from several eras, "Crux" with Norwegian music from the 20th century, and "Liberté" with works by

Francis Poulenc Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (; 7 January 189930 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include mélodie, songs, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Among th ...

, have been particularly highly praised in the media, both at home and abroad. Grex Vocalis is frequently heard on Norwegian radio and has also appeared in various television programmes. In the acclaimed Gymnaslærer Pedersens beretning om den store politiske vekkelse som har hjemsøkt vårt land 2006 film based on Dag Solstad's acclaimed Gymnaslærer Pedersens beretning om den store politiske vekkelse som har hjemsøkt vårt land 1982 novel, songs from the acclaimed ''Frihetens faner på ny'' CD were used. The conductor Carl Høgset held degrees in languages and musicology from the University of Oslo as well as in voice and choral conducting from the Norwegian State Academy of Music. In 1977 he made his debut as a

countertenor A countertenor (also contra tenor) is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of the female contralto or mezzo-soprano voice types, generally extending from around G3 to D5 or E5, although a sopranist (a ...

in a solo recital in Oslo. His solo-CD recording with songs by Purcell, Handel, Grieg and Nordheim was released in 1995. He was a member of the vocal quartet Quattro Stagioni. In December 2007 he was awarded the ''Ridder av 1. klasse av Den Kongelige St. Olavs Orden'' for his wide-ranging contributions for Norwegian choral music, in Norway as well as internationally.

Discography

* Martin Romberg: ''Witch Mass'' - Lawo Music (LWM009) with Grex Vocalis, Det Norske Jentekor and Kammerkoret NOVA, 2015 * ''

Edvard Grieg Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the leading Romantic music, Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwid ...

CHORAL MUSIC'' (2L45, 2007) * Arne Nordheim: ''Draumkvedet'' (double-CD, Simax Classics, 2006) * ''Magnum Mysterium'' (2L26, 2004) *

: ''Liberté'' (Simax Classics, 2000) * ''CRUX'' (

, Knut Nystedt, Arne Nordheim, Trond Kverno (QCD, 2000) * Händel: Messias (double-CD, QCD, 1997) *

Terje Rypdal Terje Rypdal (born 23 August 1947) is a Norwegian guitarist and composer. He has been an important member in the Norwegian jazz community, and has also given show concerts with guitarists Ronni Le Tekrø and Mads Eriksen as "N3". Career Rypd ...

: "Ineo for Choir and Chamber Orchestra" on '' Undisonus'' (ECM, 1990) * ''Norske stemninger'' (Norwegian moods) (Polygram, 2000) * ''Frihetens faner på ny'' (Banners of Freedom) ( Kirkelig Kulturverksted, 1988) * Arne Nordheim: ''Aurora'', ''Tres Lamentationes'', ''Klokkesong'' (Aurora AR, 1986) * Sigvald Tveit/ Eyvind Skeie: ''Visst skal våren komme'' ( Kirkelig Kulturverksted, 1984) * ''Renessanse for kor'' ( Kirkelig Kulturverksted, 1983) * ''Contemporary Music from Norway'' (Phillips, 1980) * ''Norwegian Folksongs & European Madrigals'' (Arne Bendiksen, 1977)

Prizes and awards

* Winner of international choir competition organised by

NRK The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (), commonly known by its initialism NRK, is a Norwegian state-run, government-influenced radio and television public broadcasting company. The NRK broadcasts three national TV channels and thirteen nat ...

, 1975 * Winner of international chamber choir competition in

, 1977 *

in the category ''classical and contemporary music'' for ''Norwegian Folksongs & European Madrigals'', 1977 * Winner of international chamber choir competition in

, 1982 *

in the category ''classical and contemporary music'' klassen for ''Renessanse for kor'', 1983 * Winner of international chamber choir competition in Tolosa, 1992 * Winner of international chamber choir competition in

Marktoberdorf Marktoberdorf () is the capital of the Bavarian district of Ostallgäu in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Swabia. Marktoberdorf is near the town of Kempten, Füssen, known for the castle Neuschwanstein, Bad Wörishofen, and Schongau. The nearest larg ...

, 1993 * Winner of ''Il Gran Premio Cittá di Arezzo'' (the best choir, across categories) at the international choir competition in

, 1999 *

in the category ''classical and contemporary music'' for '' Arne Nordheim: Draumkvedet'' (jointly with the Orchestra of the Norwegian Radio Broadcasting Corporation), 2006

External links

Grex Vocalis
*

The music label 2L

Høgset is awarded the Saint Olav
{{authority control Norwegian choirs Chamber choirs Spellemannprisen winners Musical groups established in 1971 1971 establishments in Norway Musical groups from Norway with local place of origin missing