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Allmänna Sången Walpurgis Ball! As daylight returns and hearts and minds begin to thaw, it is time to welcome everyone to the traditional Walpurgis ball at Uppsala castle! The crown jewel of Swedish springtime celebrations opens once again to the public as part of the annual spring celebrations in Uppsala held on the last day of April. Organised by Almänna Sången, Scandinavia’s oldest academic choir, this year we celebrate the 200 year anniversary of the “spring celebrations” with traditional singing in the castle courtyard at 21:00. In 1822 “Vårsång”/”Spring song”, or “Våren är kommen”/”Spring has arrived”, was written by Arrhén von Kapfelmann to be performed for the first time during the spring celebrations of Walpurgis night in the hills of Uppsala castle in 1823. It was also the first time that choirs and choral music became a recurring part of the Uppsala residents’ spring celebration. This year’s Bicentennial Walpurgis Ball will take the form of being a greater celebration than ever where you are invited to join us in celebrating the arrival of spring. After the dinner, Allmänna Sången will be performing live through the Swedish broadcasting service Sveriges Radio at Gunillaklockan outside of Uppsala castle. The spring celebrations is a cooperation between Allmänna Sången, Kuratorskonventet, the municipality of Uppsala and the Swedish broadcasting service Sveriges Radio. This is a unique opportunity to experience a real ball at the castle with all the splendour you can imagine. You will be part of an evening of beautiful traditions, a three-course dinner, dancing to a big band, and making new memories for a lifetime. The ball is open to everyone above 18 years of age, and no student nation card is required. Let the fairy tale come true for a night and buy a ticket to the Walpurgis Ball with Allmänna Sången. DETAILS ABOUT THE BALL The gates open at 16:00 with an aperitif served thereafter. Dinner will be served at 17:00. Prices: 1190 SEK (ordinary ticket), 1690 SEK (golden ticket) The price includes an aperitif, three-course dinner incl. beverages and a ticket to the party after the dinner incl. midnight snack Dress code: white tie (tailcoat, white waistcoat and bowtie etc) / evening gown, with academic medals Tickets to the dinner are sold between Sunday fifth of March (5/3) until Wednesday 12th of April throughout Lyyti: https://www.lyyti.in/balborg2023 Concert by Gunillaklockan: 21:00, which also will be transmitted through the Swedish broadcaster Sveriges Radio. The theme for this year's ball is inspired by the bicentenary and the idea of "a beautiful story", with further inspiration from the 1823 stories by Jane Austen and the "Regency" era in Great Britain. THE AFTER PARTY Party after dinner: 21:30-02:00 Price: 250 SEK Midnight snack included Music will be provided by Attraktionsorkestern Dress code: formal (suit) Tickets to the party after dinner are sold until May 1st throughout Lyyti: https://www.lyyti.in/SlappbiljettValborgsbalen2023 Do you have any questions? Please contact: klubbmastare@allmannasangen.se !

Allmänna Sången i Uppsala är Nordens äldsta akademiska kör. Sedan 1830 har kören drivit Sveriges sångtradition vidare och har målet inställt på framtiden. Welcome to Allmänna Sången! About Here on our page you'll find all the latest updates on upcoming performances and other events. Navigate our page through the menu above. Follow us on our social media or stream our music below: The choir Founded in 1830 and based in Uppsala, Sweden, Allmänna Sången is the oldest academic choir in Scandinavia. During its early years, the choir laid the foundation for many student traditions that persist in the bustling student culture of Uppsala. In 1963 Allmänna Sången, then a male voice choir, was remade into a mixed ensemble and has since developed into one of Sweden's most highly regarded mixed choirs. The choir holds several awards from international choir competitions, most recently from Slovenia in 2017, and often collaborates with prominent musicians. The choir can be heard at several regular performances throughout the year, such as the traditional spring concert or the Christmas concert at Uppsala Castle. Read our history: History View our concerts: Concerts The organisation Allmänna Sången is a non-profit organisation with the goal of achieving the highest possible musical and professional quality in all our activities, both towards our audience and among our members. Through constant development and strife for new expressions, we create new conditions for choral singing in Sweden's cultural life. In recent years, Allmänna Sången has placed great emphasis on promoting music written by women, who for centuries have been marginalised in the classical music sphere. One such initiative is ASAWCA -Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award- a composition competition for female composers. More on the competition: ASAWCA Our activities are dependent on the voluntary (unpaid) involvement by our members, and as a member you are involved in running the almost two hundred year old cultural heritage that Allmänna Sången represents The majority of Allmänna Sången's members have an area of responsibility in the choir or are involved, for example, as project managers. Any profits from our productions go back into the organisation to further enhance our concerts and cover costs. Program 2024/2025 30/11 & 1/12 Uppsala Castle Christmas at the Castle 14/12 Västerlövsta church Christmas in Västerlövsta 22/3 Bälinge church Concert with the Malva Quartet 23/3 Eric Ericson hall, Stockholm Concert with the Malva Quartet 30/4 Uppsala Castle Walpurgis ball and traditional spring celebration 10/5 University main building Spring concert 2025 30/8 Missionskyrkan, Uppsala Concert with Neuer Kammerchor 18/10 & 19/10 TBA Mörkerkonserter 2025 ASAWCA WINNER 2024 The winner of ASAWCA, the Anders Wall & Allmänna Sången Composition Award is Erika Hammarberg. The piece "En sådan kväll" was premiered at our spring concert the 4th of May. Read more about the winner here.

Allmänna Sångens årliga konsert Jul på slottet som i år blir precis som den ska med julgranar, glögg och julsånger som klingar i Rikssalen på Uppsala slott. Välkomna till årets Jul på slottet! När Allmänna Sången fyller Uppsala slott med granar, rykande varm glögg och sång finns det ingen tvekan om att juletiden har börjat. Rikssalen utgör en vacker fond för traditionella julsånger som tar dig tillbaka till förväntan från forna jular. Tillsammans med melodier där sorg, glädje, ljus och mörker får mötas och finnas till, blir Jul på slottet en konsert som stannar kvar långt efter att tonerna klingat ut. Under ledning av Maria Goundorina bjuder Allmänna Sången på ett program där vår älskade svenska julmusik får möta den franska med isande, kalla vinternätter i Paris genom Francis Poulencs ”Un soir de niege” och Olivier Messiens fylliga klangbilder. Helgi Reynisson är årets solist som efter sin examen från Operahögskolan i Stockholm har påbörjat en karriär med solistroller internationellt såväl som i Sverige. Nu kommer han tillbaka till staden han växte upp i för att förgylla Jul på slottet med sin barytonröst. Varmt välkomna till årets Jul på slottet! Biljetter säljs genom Tickster via länkar nedan: Jul på slottet 27 november kl 14 Jul på slottet 28 november kl 14

Allmänna Sången Walpurgis Ball! After a break of three years, it is finally time for Allmänna Sången, the oldest academic choir in Northern Europe, to once again welcome everyone back to the traditional Walpurgis Ball at Uppsala castle. With daylight returning and hearts and minds thawing, we present to you the crown jewel of springtime celebrations. For many years the Walpurgis Ball has been organised by Allmänna Sången and open to the public to participate as part of the annual spring celebrations in Uppsala being held on the last day of April. After the dinner, Allmänna Sången will be performing live through the Swedish broadcasting service Sveriges Radio at Gunillaklockan outside of Uppsala castle; an unbroken tradition since 1830. This is a golden opportunity to experience a real ball at the castle, with all its splendor you could imagine. You will be part of an evening of beautiful traditions, a three-course dinner, dancing to a big band and making new memories for a lifetime. The ball is open to everyone above 18 years of age, and no student nation card is required. Let the fairy tale come true for a night and go to the Walpurgis Ball with Allmänna Sången. DETAILS ABOUT THE BALL The tickets to the dinner was sold throughout 13th of April. The formal dinner starts with an aperitif served from 16:00 Prices: 1050 SEK (ordinary) / 900 SEK (student) The price includes an aperitif, three-course dinner incl. beverages and a ticket to the party after the dinner incl. midnight snack Dress code: Formal attire (white tie) / evening gown Concert by Gunillaklockan: 21:00, which also will be transmitted through the Swedish broadcaster Sveriges Radio. THE AFTER PARTY Party after dinner: 21:30-02:00 Price: 200 SEK Midnight snack included Music will be provided by Attraktionsorkestern Dress code: formal (suit) Tickets to the party after dinner are sold until April 30th throughout Lyyti: https://www.lyyti.in/SlaeppbiljettValborgsbalen2022 Do you have any questions? Please contact: klubbmastare@allmannasangen.se !

Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award is a composition competition for choir music aimed at women composers. The competition is international and targets women composers irrespective of profession or nationality. All entries will be reviewed by a reputable international jury. History Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award was announced for the first time in 2013, when Allmänna Sången celebrated fifty years as a mixed choir. In connection to the anniversary, the choir announced a competition for women composers, together with Anders Wall, aiming to highlight them and their work, and inspire the creation of new choir music. Since then, the competition has been arranged four more times. Previous winners 2014 – Sandskrift, Maria Löfberg 2016 – Speeches, Anna-Karin Klockar 2019 – The Black Monkey , Eva Holm Fosnæs 2021 – When Breathing Like a Bird , Gittan Glans 2024 – En sådan kväll , Erika Hammarberg Upcoming competitions The next ASAWCA will be awarded in spring 2027, with applications opening in spring 2026. The winning contribution will be published by Gehrmans Musikförlag AB, and the winner receives a prize sum and a diploma. For other excellent contributions, second and third prizes may be awarded. All entries must adhere to the following criteria: • Must be unpublished and not previously performed • Must be written for a mixed voice a cappella choir with 4–12 parts • Must be 6–9 minutes long in total • Can be in any language • Can be written by any woman composer, irrespective of nationality, age, or profession For the most current information on terms and applications, follow Allmänna Sången and Allmänna Sången and Anders Wall Composition Award on social media. You are also welcome to reach out to us with questions through info@allmannasangen.se . About the choir Allmänna Sången was established in the year 1830 as a choir for male students in Uppsala, Sweden. Since then, it has become a mixed choir and gained wide acclaim as one of the best choirs in the country. It is also the oldest university choir in Scandinavia. Today, no formal connection between All- männa Sången and the university remains, but the choir still preserves some of the university traditions it helped create and is firmly anchored in the city’s student life. You can watch Allmänna Sången's first performance of the 2024 ASAWCA winner here below.

Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award is a composition competition for choir music aimed at women composers. The competition is international and targets women composers irrespective of profession or nationality. All entries will be reviewed by a reputable international jury. History Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award was announced for the first time in 2013, when Allmänna Sången celebrated fifty years as a mixed choir. In connection to the anniversary, the choir announced a competition for women composers, together with Anders Wall, aiming to highlight them and their work, and inspire the creation of new choir music. Since then, the competition has been arranged four more times. Previous winners 2014 – Sandskrift, Maria Löfberg 2016 – Speeches, Anna-Karin Klockar 2019 – The Black Monkey , Eva Holm Fosnæs 2021 – When Breathing Like a Bird , Gittan Glans 2024 – En sådan kväll , Erika Hammarberg Upcoming competitions The next ASAWCA will be awarded in spring 2027, with applications opening in spring 2026. The winning contribution will be published by Gehrmans Musikförlag AB, and the winner receives a prize sum and a diploma. For other excellent contributions, second and third prizes may be awarded. All entries must adhere to the following criteria: • Must be unpublished and not previously performed • Must be written for a mixed voice a cappella choir with 4–12 parts • Must be 6–9 minutes long in total • Can be in any language • Can be written by any woman composer, irrespective of nationality, age, or profession For the most current information on terms and applications, follow Allmänna Sången and Allmänna Sången and Anders Wall Composition Award on social media. You are also welcome to reach out to us with questions through info@allmannasangen.se . About the choir Allmänna Sången was established in the year 1830 as a choir for male students in Uppsala, Sweden. Since then, it has become a mixed choir and gained wide acclaim as one of the best choirs in the country. It is also the oldest university choir in Scandinavia. Today, no formal connection between All- männa Sången and the university remains, but the choir still preserves some of the university traditions it helped create and is firmly anchored in the city’s student life. You can watch Allmänna Sången's first performance of the 2024 ASAWCA winner here below.

Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award is a composition competition for choir music aimed at women composers. The competition is international and targets women composers irrespective of profession or nationality. All entries will be reviewed by a reputable international jury. History Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award was announced for the first time in 2013, when Allmänna Sången celebrated fifty years as a mixed choir. In connection to the anniversary, the choir announced a competition for women composers, together with Anders Wall, aiming to highlight them and their work, and inspire the creation of new choir music. Since then, the competition has been arranged four more times. Previous winners 2014 – Sandskrift, Maria Löfberg 2016 – Speeches, Anna-Karin Klockar 2019 – The Black Monkey , Eva Holm Fosnæs 2021 – When Breathing Like a Bird , Gittan Glans 2024 – En sådan kväll , Erika Hammarberg Upcoming competitions The next ASAWCA will be awarded in spring 2027, with applications opening in spring 2026. The winning contribution will be published by Gehrmans Musikförlag AB, and the winner receives a prize sum and a diploma. For other excellent contributions, second and third prizes may be awarded. All entries must adhere to the following criteria: • Must be unpublished and not previously performed • Must be written for a mixed voice a cappella choir with 4–12 parts • Must be 6–9 minutes long in total • Can be in any language • Can be written by any woman composer, irrespective of nationality, age, or profession For the most current information on terms and applications, follow Allmänna Sången and Allmänna Sången and Anders Wall Composition Award on social media. You are also welcome to reach out to us with questions through info@allmannasangen.se . About the choir Allmänna Sången was established in the year 1830 as a choir for male students in Uppsala, Sweden. Since then, it has become a mixed choir and gained wide acclaim as one of the best choirs in the country. It is also the oldest university choir in Scandinavia. Today, no formal connection between All- männa Sången and the university remains, but the choir still preserves some of the university traditions it helped create and is firmly anchored in the city’s student life. You can watch Allmänna Sången's first performance of the 2024 ASAWCA winner here below.

Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award is a composition competition for choir music aimed at women composers. The competition is international and targets women composers irrespective of profession or nationality. All entries will be reviewed by a reputable international jury. History Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award was announced for the first time in 2013, when Allmänna Sången celebrated fifty years as a mixed choir. In connection to the anniversary, the choir announced a competition for women composers, together with Anders Wall, aiming to highlight them and their work, and inspire the creation of new choir music. Since then, the competition has been arranged four more times. Previous winners 2014 – Sandskrift, Maria Löfberg 2016 – Speeches, Anna-Karin Klockar 2019 – The Black Monkey , Eva Holm Fosnæs 2021 – When Breathing Like a Bird , Gittan Glans 2024 – En sådan kväll , Erika Hammarberg Upcoming competitions The next ASAWCA will be awarded in spring 2027, with applications opening in spring 2026. The winning contribution will be published by Gehrmans Musikförlag AB, and the winner receives a prize sum and a diploma. For other excellent contributions, second and third prizes may be awarded. All entries must adhere to the following criteria: • Must be unpublished and not previously performed • Must be written for a mixed voice a cappella choir with 4–12 parts • Must be 6–9 minutes long in total • Can be in any language • Can be written by any woman composer, irrespective of nationality, age, or profession For the most current information on terms and applications, follow Allmänna Sången and Allmänna Sången and Anders Wall Composition Award on social media. You are also welcome to reach out to us with questions through info@allmannasangen.se . About the choir Allmänna Sången was established in the year 1830 as a choir for male students in Uppsala, Sweden. Since then, it has become a mixed choir and gained wide acclaim as one of the best choirs in the country. It is also the oldest university choir in Scandinavia. Today, no formal connection between All- männa Sången and the university remains, but the choir still preserves some of the university traditions it helped create and is firmly anchored in the city’s student life. You can watch Allmänna Sången's first performance of the 2024 ASAWCA winner here below.

THE CONDUCTOR Maria Goundorina Maria Goundorina, or Masja for short, is originally from the town of Novosskolniki, Russia. Maria's interest in choral music was born at the age of seven, when she joined a children's choir which later developed into school for choristers. Maria began her musical studies at the Ippolitov-Ivanov musical institute and Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow. After recieving her diploma from the latter Maria spent a number of years in Austria, where she studied at the University of Vienna. In 2005 Maria moved to Stockholm to study choral conducting, under Anders Eby and Cecilia Rydinger among others, at the Royal College of Music. Maria recieved her degree in choral conducting in the spring of 2008. During her time as a student, Maria also made time to both lead and perform with many prestigious ensembles in Russia, Germany and Sweden, as well partaking numerous conducting competitions. In 2004 Maria was one of the finalists in the International Competition for Young Choir Conductors taking place in Vienna, where she recieved the prize for "Best interpretation of a Romantic piece". In 2007 Maria was afforded the Eric Ericson travel bursary, and in 2009 she was a finalist in the international conducting competition The Eric Ericson Award. In November of 2009 Maria Goundorina was chosen to be the new conductor of Allmänna Sången. She is the 27th conductor of the choir. Born / 1978 Nationality / Russian Elected / 2010

The winner of Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award 2021 has been selected. After reviewing contributions from countries all around the world, the jury has decided to give the award to Gittan Glans for her piece ”When Breathing Like a Bird”. She will receive a prize sum of SEK 50, 000, in addition to having her piece premiered by Allmänna Sången and published by Gehrmans Musikförlag AB. The award ceremony and premiere of the winning piece is scheduled to take place at Allmänna Sången’s anniversary concert on October 23rd, 2021. The jury’s remarks ”The composer shows great knowledge in writing for choir, with smart usage of different compositional techniques. The strong technical foundation, together with a convincing approach to the metaphor of the text, makes this a standout piece, ready for richly nuanced interpretations worldwide.” The composer Gittan Glans is originally from Åsenhöga outside Gnosjö in Småland, Sweden. She has an education as a piano teacher from the music academy in Gothenburg and now works as a freelance musician, arranger, composer and piano teacher at the music academy at Södra Vätterbygdens Folkhögskola (SVF) in Jönköping. As a freelance musician she works across genres and feels at home in everything from jazz, folk music and pop to classical music. She has written music for everything from choir and symphony orchestra to big band and her own trio, Henningson & Glans. During the years 2007–2009 she featured as singer and multi-instrumentalist in the Swedish TV show På spåret. With a background as pianist and arranger, she has begun composing more and more during the last fifteen years, and has written music for choirs such as Jönköpings Kammarkör and Musiklinjens kör at SVF. The winning piece “A single little voice can suffice, and with that carry all of the hope we all need to feel” – so says the text author Marie Winald-Karlström in her comment about her lyrics. ”When breathing like a bird” consists of three parts. The first is playful and illustrates, among other things, raindrops. The second portrays the calm before sunrise. In the third part, the feeling of happiness shines through and the bird gets to give a voice to the big things contained within the small – ”When breathing like a bird”. Words from the winner “Choral music is something that has always been there and shaped my entire music life. I have sung a lot in choirs, such as in Göteborgs Kammarkör under the direction of Gunnar Eriksson. As a chorist you gain an insight into the structure of choirs and choral music, something that I think has inspired me, and that has had a great influence on my writing. In light of this, and because choral music is so dear to my heart, I feel truly honoured and immensely happy to have received this award. Thank you!!!” Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award was arranged for the first time in 2013 when Allmänna Sången celebrated fifty years as a mixed choir. In connection with the anniversary, the choir together with Anders Wall announced a competition for female composers. The purpose of the competition is to draw attention to female composers and their work, and to stimulate the creation of new choir pieces that can enrich and develop modern day choir music. The competition is international and targets female composers irrespective of profession or nationality. All entries are reviewed by a reputable international jury comprised of distinguished composers and conductors. This year, the jury was comprised of Libby Larsen, Ēriks Ešenvalds, Robert Sund and Maria Goundorina. Partners Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award is made possible through a collaboration with Gehrmans Musikförlag AB, together with sponsoring from Kjell och Märta Beijers Stiftelse and Uppsala kommuns kulturnämnd. Contact For more information about future competitions, visit www.allmannasangen.se or follow us on social media. Press release (English) Press release (Swedish)

Meet the jury Four well-renowned composers and conductors are the members of the jury deciding which one of the contestants who will be the winner of Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award 2019. December 31: st 2018 sets the final deadline for the contestants to contribute their works and then the exciting and exceptional task of finding a winner begins. Vaclovas Augustinas Vaclovas Augustinas is a Lithuanian conductor, composer and music pedagogue who since 1992 conducts the Vilnius City Municipal Choir "Jauna Muzika". Also, a full-time professor of the Lithuanian Academy for Music and Theatre, Mr. Augustinas is head of the department of composing. In the year 2010, Mr. Augustinas was awarded the Lithuanian National Culture and Art Prize. Maria Goundorina Maria Goundorina is from Novosskolniki, Russia. She began her music studies at the Ippolitov-Ivanov college and the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow. After receiving her diplomas, Maria spent a few years in Austria where she studied at the University of Vienna. In the year 2005, Maria came to Stockholm to study choir conducting at the Royal College of Music for, among others, professors Anders Eby and Cecilia Rydinger Alin. Maria graduated in 2008 and was in November 2009 given the opportunity of conducting Allmänna Sången, the 27:th consecutive conductor. Robert Sund Robert Sund many talents in the arts of music has given him a strong and acclaimed position in the Swedish contemporary culture as well as abroad. During the many years conducting Allmänna Sången and the world famous male chorus Orphei Drängar, he also laid the foundation for the female chorus "La Cappella" as well as the youth chorus Uppsala Musikskolas kammarkör. He studied conducting for 17 years at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and has since been giving lectures and been a guest conductor for choirs all across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. He has been a participating member of several choral competitions all over the world and starred in an array of international festivals. In the year 1993, Robert was named the Conductor of the Year by the Swedish Conductors Association. Lone Larsen Lone Larsen, from Denmark, studied at the Nordjysk Musikkonservatorium in Aalborg, the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and at the Julliard Schooll of Music in New York. She is the artistic leader for VoNo (Voces Nordicae) - an ensemble consisting of 12 singers and has since its foundation in 1999 contributed to developing the contemporary choral music. Lone was head of the project "To have a voice" at Folkoperan in Stockholm and has been recurring as maestro at the same institute. As a freelancing conductor, she is often tasked with leading workshops and art projects internationally. Lone is a professor at Ersta Sköndal Bräcke Högskola and is also participating in the international project "Conducting 21C" at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Canada.

Allmänna Sången möter Johan Dalene - The Lark Ascending Nu är det äntligen dags för Allmänna Sångens årliga vårkonsert, eller som vi har valt att kalla den, The Lark Ascending. Konserten gästas i år av den redan världsturnerande violinisten Johan Dalene. Johan är en ung violinist som fått lovord både här hemma och runt om i världen och vi är mycket glada över att ha honom som gästartist nu när världen återvänder till konsertsalarna, och Johan försvinner ut i världen igen. På programmet står bland annat det berömda stycket The Lark Ascending, komponerat av Ralph Vaughan Williams år under brinnande världskrig år 1914. Den sättning som vi känner igen skrev han däremot först till premiären 1920. Detta mycket älskade verk för violin och orkester är skrivet över en 122 rader lång pastoral. I denna sättning av Paul Drayton från 2018 får kören både ta orkesterns roll och sjunga de ord som inspirerat tonsättaren. Vi hälsar er varmt välkomna till en vårvarm konsert som inte tvekar att utmana med en kyligare vind eller en pust från Provence. Vem vet vad som händer när Allmänna Sången möter Johan Dalene. Köp dina biljetter här!