Trondheim Solistene
(c) Nikolaj Lund
From 28 July to 5 August, Trondheim is celebrating Olsok with a big multicultural festival. Olsok (Olaf’s Vigil) is a national day of celebration in Norway, remembering King Olaf II Haraldsson of Norway, the so called Rex perpetuus Norvegiae, the Eternal King of Norway. July 29 is traditionally the date of the death of King Olaf at the Battle of Stiklestad, east of Trondheim in 1030, when he tried to Christianize Norway.
The purpose of St. Olav Festival in Trondheim is to re-establish and strengthen Trondheim as a national ecclesiastical and cultural centre
Every year around Olsok, Trondheim is filled with festivity and street life, concerts, lectures, pilgrimage, services and numerous other events.
The opening concert on 28 July will feature the new composition Pilgrim, with music from Alasdair Nicolson on a text by Jan Fosse, with Trondheim Solistene and the BBC Singers.
In another festival highlight, the Japanese maestro Masaaki Suzuki will guide The Norwegian Baroque Orchestra and the choristers of the Hungarian Purcell Choir through works of Telemann and Bach. Pizzicato’s Remy Franck will attend this year’s festival and report from Trondheim.
Info: http://www.olavsfestdagene.no/en/information/
