August Söderman: Andeliga Sånger: (Arr. Morten Schuldt-Jensen): Mixed Choir A Cappella

Johan August Söderman (1832–1876) was a leading figure among the Romantic generation of Swedish composers and a significant influence on his successors, Hugo Alfvén and Wilhelm Peterson-Berger. His vocal style is noteworthy for its imitation and fugal expositions as well as for warm sonorities offset by dissonant suspensions. Much of his lieder and choral music intimate an underlying influence of folk material.These seven short works, published together as Andeliga Sånger (Spiritual Songs) in 1872, were originally scored for mixed voices (SATB with divisi) and organ accompaniment with a soprano solo appearing in both the Kyrie and the Virgo gloriosa. This SAM-Klang version should be performed unaccompanied. The more texturally dense moments of the original are covered here either by soprano and alto divisi (Domine) or an optional second alto part (Kyrie, Agnus Dei and Benedictus).
A highly versatile series, SAM-Klang editions can can be combined with any existing orchestration published, as well as original SATB and divisi versions. Expertly arranged by Morten Schuldt-Jensen, former Gewandhaus Orchestra choral master and current Freiburg University professor, this series was designed to promote accessibility and music-sharing and takes its name from the three voice parts in the arrangements – Soprano, Alto and Low Voice (Men) – which, when combined with the Scandinavian and German words for ‘sound’, create the portmanteau ‘sound together’ or ‘harmony.’

"For the repertoire for choirs ‘with a lack of lower voices’, the music seeks to consolidate the forces a choir may have and produce close to a full-sounding performance of the chosen work as possible." (Music Teacher Magazine, 2023)