Christmas Concerts with the Stockholm Bach Choir

For nearly 30 years, the Salvation Army Stockholm South Citadel Band (previously the Stockholm VII Band) has cooperated with the world-famous Stockholm Bach Choir in their annual Christmas Carol concerts. This season’s concert series, which occurred on 21 – 22 December 2007, was held in the magnificent Gustaf Vasa Church in central Stockholm. In addition to the band and the choir, participants included a group of young students from the Adolf Fredrik School of Music and opera singer Katarina Blixt, a mezzo-soprano.

The program consisted not only of many favorite Swedish carols but also carols from around the world, including Australia, France, North and South America, Germany, England and Norway. Many of the arrangements were made by Anders Öhrwall, the founder of the Stockholm Bach Choir. These included Jingle Bells, The Carol of the Birds, March of the Three Kings and Silent Night.

The Stockholm South Citadel Band, under the direction of Bandmaster Lars-Otto Ljungholm, provided accompaniment for the congregational carols and also accompanied the choir in several of their presentations. The band also played The Joy of Christmas (Robert Redhead) and a modern arrangement, A Christmas Overture, arranged by Andreas Holmlund, a profession musician and a member of the Stockholm Vasa Corps Band of the Salvation Army.

The Gustaf Vasa Church was packed for all three of the concerts by highly appreciative audiences, with all participants receiving standing ovations.