PREFACE When I recall what music inspired me the most during my university years, I remember being naturally drawn to the tone poems of Jan Sibelius, the piano music of Edvard Grieg, and the symphonies of Carl Nielsen. The lyric, yet also dramatic nature of these works would transport me to the mystic essence of far away lakes, mountains, and seemingly endless forests. These early experiences remained with me over the course of decades until a question occurred to me: “What is the organ music of these Nordic lands?” In my native United States of America, the public can enjoy performances of some of the standard Nordic orchestral, chamber and piano works, yet we hear nothing about the organ music from this part of the world. I was aware of the many historic places of worship and distinguished examples of the organbuilder’s art in these countries, but discovering an actual repertoire for organ by Nordic composers remained a subject ripe for my eventual discernment, particularly as numerous enquiries concerning the subject to American colleagues yielded few results. What began as a simple question eventually evolved into a mission. As I became acquainted with the musical output of luminaries from the Romantic Era such as Oskar Lindberg, Arild Sandvold, Oskar Merikanto, and J.P.E Hartmann thanks to the good offices of several accommodating Nordic organists, I learned quickly that, yes, this was a culture that had produced a distinct repertoire for the organ. When the internet enabled instant communication with the leading composers of our own time, I became hooked on the subject. Thus began my own “Nordic Journey”, one that quickly became a passion as I learned more about the cultures of these countries. Subsequent concert tours of the north introduced me to places of intense natural beauty, a vital folk culture, and literary traditions spanning a thousand years. The wish to share my enthusiasm for this repertoire led me in 2010 to make a double cd recording entitled Nordic Journey, produced in Sweden at the magnificent Linköping Cathedral. What was intended as a “one-off project” quickly became an ongoing endeavor, and as I write these words, the American label Pro Organo has released ten volumes spanning seventeen discs over the past decade. The various projects have led me to record at unique sacred spaces throughout Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, and with the year 2020 seeing Volumes IX and X recorded at prominent venues in Sweden and Denmark. Nordic Journey has become a process whose goals are, first, the creation of new music (I have thus far commissioned thirty five new works from Nordic composers for these recordings), second, the rediscovery of forgotten and/or unpublished works from previous eras, and third, the inclusion of a few of the
5
standard masterworks. The final, and perhaps the most important step of this project is the publication of these compositions, sharing music that has not found its way into print. With the release of this volume, I am grateful to Norsk Musikforlag and its editor Jan Stefan Bengtsson for making my goal a reality. My intent for the coming years is the ongoing production of future volumes of The Nordic Journey Series, both in recordings and in printed books such as this edition, thus ensuring the dissemination of new commissions and works from earlier eras that have never been published. JAMES D. HICKS is a concert organist living and working out of Califon, NJ. A graduate of the Peabody Conservatory of Music, Yale University and the University of Cincinnati, Hicks has also studied at the Royal School of Church Music in the UK. James held liturgical positions throughout the United States over the course of thirty-five years, and now devotes himself to concert and recording projects. Over the past decade, Jim has researched the music of Nordic lands, and the result is an ongoing series entitled Nordic Journey. Nordic Journey concerns itself with the creation of new compositions (thirty-five commissioned works thus far from Nordic artists), the rediscovery of unpublished works from previous eras, and the inclusion of a few of the standard masterworks. The American label Pro Organo (www.proorgano.com) has recorded ten volumes spanning seventeen discs of Nordic Journey in historic cathedrals and churches throughout Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. The Naxos label (www.naxosdirect.com) began streaming and distributing these recordings in 2019. The Norwegian publisher Cantando issued the first volume of The Nordic Journey Series in 2018, a collection of works that Jim commissioned from Nordic composers. This current collection not only includes more of Jim’s commissioned compositions from contemporary Nordic composers, but also contains previously unpublished works from earlier eras. Dr. James D. Hicks Califon, New Jersey, USA August 2020 www.jamesdhicks.com