A possible new stage for the blog

Ever since I set this blog up, there's been a problem: how to update the initial information as new recordings come out. New recordings are not really a frequent thing, but the problem has gradually been growing. Also, streaming has greatly changed the availability of some old recordings, so for example information that says something was only ever available on LP is sometimes not correct.

For these reasons, I was always aware that a blog was not the ideal format. It's useful for writing a post with news, but not for being the ongoing record of data.

To put it another way, I always knew a database would be a better option. But I have always had very little idea about databases. I've tried creating one once or twice and quickly given up, not really knowing what I'm doing.

Well for the first time, I'm genuinely getting somewhere. I've just discovered Airtable. And I can honestly say that after just a couple of hours, I've got further with building a database of Holmboe recordings than I've ever got before. By a long way.

I might well come unstuck when I try to work out how to then turn that database into something to display to you all. My hope is to make it possible to either (1) select a work and see the albums it's available on, or (2) select an album and see what's on it. Achieving that goal might be some way off, but with Airtable I've been able to construct records for 7 BIS label albums and their contents in the space of only an hour or so.

I also know there's an album release that should be coming in a few months, but I'll save that for later.

Small progress

I've been meaning to update this blog for a little while, but it's a little sad to see how long it has been.

The good news is that access to older recordings continues to improve, ever so gradually, with more appearing on streaming and download platforms.

In terms of new albums, though, there are only a couple of ones that I'm aware of.

The vocal album Crossing Borders (Ars Nova Copenhagen on the Da Capo label) includes the Two Border Ballads, op.110. That is, A Lyke-Wake Dirge, op.110a (M.259) and The Wee Wee Man, op.110b (M.260).

These are already among the more frequently recorded of Holmboe's choral works, but there's nothing wrong with that! Other composers on the album include Nielsen and Stenhammar.

The other recent album is called Vildtvoksende fantasier (Wild-growing fantasies), and is subtitled (in Danish) as "Music stories for children". It combines stories with chosen pieces of music, of which 2 are Holmboe's. "Øens kirkegård" (The island's churchyard) is one of the songs from Sange mod Vårdybet (Songs Towards the Deep of Spring), op.85 (M.223). "Du svævende ånd" (You hovering spirit) is the second of the Two Sarvig Psalms, op.154 (M.315). 

These are not actually new recordings, they are taken from a Da Capo album of Holmboe's a capella choral works (Sokkelund Sangkor, conducted by Morten Schuldt-Jensen). So perhaps this is of most interest to anyone with Danish-speaking children to read the stories with.

Trombone Sonata, twice over

My original cataloguing becomes increasingly inaccurate. Having said there was just one recording of the Trombone Sonata, op.172a, I found out about two more in a single night.

Carsten Svanberg and Bernadette Binder perform the sonata on an album of Classical Sonatas for Trombone and Piano published back in 1998 (Amos CD 5872). Other composers represented on the album are Hindemith, Frank Martin, Bentzon, Schmidt, Larsen and Sulek. These days, it appears the album is most readily accessed from the record company's own website (www.blasmusik.ch).

The other performance is by Roger Verdi and Martha Locker, on album called Almost Home - Works for Trombone (Greenmill Records). Other composers are Guilmant, Barat, Bassett, de Frumiere and Sulek. Known sources for the album are Amazon and CDBaby.

Another rediscovery

When I first wrote about the album Chamber Works for Flute (Rondo Grammofon RCD 8362) in this entry, I reported that I could find no evidence of it in any form other than CD.

Well, as of May this year it was added to some streaming services and digital stores. It does not appear to be on iTunes, but so far I have found it on Amazon US and UK, Deezer, Napster and Klicktrack.


The CD is still available, but somewhat scarce, so this development increases the accessibility of the music on the album. In particular, it has the only recording of the Sonatina Capricciosa for flute and piano, op.27b. Which I've just listened to the first time!

It is great to see many of these older recordings being given new life. While personally I still prefer physical media, this kind of access is far better than having nothing available.

A lot of new (old) discoveries

It's amazing what turns up on iTunes these days...A new search for Holmboe revealed a surprising number of new entries, though most of these are old recordings, emerging as more of the history of music BiT (Before iTunes) is acknowledged. It's not just iTunes where they have appeared, services like Spotify and Google Play have them as well. And many of them are freely available on the performers' Youtube channels also.

First, an album called Lige før forår (Just Before Spring) (Point PCD 5144 from the mid-to-late 1990s). The conductor is Flemming Windekilde and the choir is the Unge Akademikeres Kor (Young Academics' Choir).

The Holmboe content of the album is 2 songs from Sange mod Vårdybet (Songs Towards the Deep of Spring), op.85 (M.223). Specifically the 2nd song "Øens kirkegård" (The Island Cemetery) and the 3rd song "Sol og sne" (Sun and Snow).

A considerable number of other composers are also represented, not that iTunes will tell you this. Lack of proper metadata, such as the composer, is a significant fault on several of these re-releases.

The next thing to mention is not a new album, but being available in digital form makes it far more accessible and that's worth mentioning in this case. Spejlinger – nyere dansk kormusik (Reflections - contemporary Danish choral music) (Point PCD 5127) from the Jysk Akademisk Kor is notable for having the only confirmed complete recording of the Three Jæger Songs, op.98 (M.232). It also has two works from the Liber Canticorum collection, Domine, non superbit op.61c and Laudate Dominum op.158b.

 The third song from op.98, "Tidligt Forår" (Early Spring) also turns up on Sommer på dansk (Danish Summer) (Point PCD 5164) performed by Det Fynske Kammerkor conducted by Alice Granum.

Another choral album is Lux aeterna : International church music from the 20th century (Point PCD 5152), performed by the chamber choir Trinitatis Kantori with Per Enevold conducting. This is a late 1990s release. It includes a performance of "Laudate Dominum", op.158b (M.319) from Liber Canticorum.

In 1995, the Norwegian Student Choral Union (Den Norske Studentersangforening) released an album called DnS i 150! (catchy title). It includes Song No.1 "Hemlängtan" (Homesickness) from the five Lagerkvist Songs, op.34 (M.144).

Next, an album called Cascade from the Royal Danish Brass Ensemble (originally Rondo RCD 8352 and released around 1996) includes recordings of Brass Quintet No.1, op.79 (M.212) and Notater (Notations), op.140 (M.298). Given how many of the recordings of Holmboe's brass music involve this ensemble, I can't tell for certain whether these are different recordings to ones already mentioned in the blog, but the couplings are different. It's possible to listen on the ensemble's Youtube channel. For traditionalists, used CD copies appear to be available.

And finally, a genuinely new release. The album Danske Sange med fjernøstlig inspiration (Danish Songs with Far Eastern inspiration) (CD Klassisk) is performed by Signe Asmussen and Erik Kaltoft. The Holmboe component is the song cycle Moya (7 Japanese Songs), op.57 (M.176), which has been recorded several times before - not that I am complaining!

All of these recordings should in theory be added to the existing blog entries for choral, brass and vocal works. I'm not sure when, or if, I will attempt that, as it's increasingly clear that the blog format is not very helpful for this discography. I knew this when I started the project, but did not have an obvious alternative solution.

A quartet reissue

A big thank you to Camphy for alerting me to a reissue of a recording of Holmboe's 2nd string quartet, performed by the Musica-Vitalis Quartet.

The reissue is on the Forgotten Records label (fr 1035), which specialises in reviving older recordings. This one stems from 1954, which is just 5 years after the composition of the piece.

I will add this to the main string quartet entry. At some point this blog format will need to change, so that the blog contains new reports and other pages hold the actual discography, but I haven't quite figured out how to do that yet. And I still have to update the choir discography with the new Faroese material.

Faroese amendments

I already made some slight changes to my previous post (to correct errors which shall never be revealed, HA!), but think a separate post is warranted now.

Having received a copy of the album Havnarkórið 45 ár as an extraordinarly generous gift, I can confirm it does indeed exist as a physical 2-CD set, published by Tutl in the Faroe Islands (www.tutl.com). However, I cannot actually find evidence of it on their website. Maybe my Google skills are deserting me.

The Holmboe works occupy all of the first disc, not almost all as I previously said. It turns out there is another Faroese folksong arrangement not mentioned in the catalogue I work from, called Rura, rura barnið.  Without knowing Faroese, but with some knowledge of related languages, my guess is that this is a lullaby.

That makes three folksong arrangements, together with Sigmunds kvæði (I am now changing how I write this to match the album) and Ólavur Riddararós.

The rest of what I said about the Holmboe compositions on the disc appears to have been accurate. The second disc contains works by a variety of composers, with the most contributions from Hans Jacob Højgaard and Knut Olsen.

New Faroese discoveries

Well, this evening has generated one large Holmboe surprise, and hunting for more information generated a second (smaller) surprise to go with it.

The first large surprise is an album called Havnarkórið 45 ár released around 2011, which rather literally refers to 45 years of the choir Havnarkórið in the Faroe Islands. This choir already makes an appearance in this discography.

That entry was for just one song, the arrangement of Sigmundskvæðið (Sigmund's Ballad), but as you can see Holmboe's name appears very prominently here and there is much more Holmboe this time around!  None of the listings I've found identify the composers, but from comparisons to various information and recordings, it appears likely that this album contains all of Holmboe's Faroese work except for one song:

• the arrangement of Sigmundskvæðið (Sigmund's Ballad) (M.ySi)
• the complete Hevjið í homrum (Raise in the Passes), op.81 (M.214)
• 5 out of 6 songs from Sól og kavi, which is the Faroese version of Sange mod Vårdybet (Songs Towards the Deep of Spring), op.85 (M.223) - it appears the 3rd song, which is actually the one that gives the cycle its Faroese name, is absent
• the complete Faroese (original) version of Eydna / Lykken (Good Fortune), op.119 (M.272) 
• Ólavur Riddararós, the arrangement that doesn't appear in the known Holmboe catalogue, but now appears on two different albums
• Brugvar (Bridges), op.151 (M.311)

Several of these are not otherwise available or difficult to find, which makes this a significant find for the discography! I've removed op.151 from the "never recorded" list.

It's described as a 2-CD set, with the Holmboe works occupying almost all of the first disc. While I've not yet found any evidence of the CD being available, the album appears to be quite widely available for download or streaming.

The second discovery was a group called Mpiri, and an album called Asbest. This is another Faroese choral ensemble, but based in Copenhagen. There are several different cover images for the album.

 

There is one Holmobe track. "Dimmið" (incorrectly written as "Dimid" or "Dimmio" in many sources) is the third song from Eydna/Lykken.

The album appears fairly widely available for download or streaming. There is also a CD version, and the entire album has been put on YouTube (legitimately I think).

I haven't yet revised the (already complex) discography entry for the relevant choral works, as this amount of new information will take some work to incorporate.

Sonata for solo double bass, op.82

Well, here's an interesting situation...

I have stumbled across the existence of a recording of the double bass sonata. The thing is, all the evidence so far suggests that the recording is only available on Youtube!

This is despite it reportedly being a recording by Frank Reinecke, a double bass player who has made a number of commercial recordings, including of solo repertoire.

As there is no evidence that this recording can be purchased, I've decided (at the moment, at least) not to add it to the main discography entries on chamber music. Nor will I take opus 82 off the list of "unrecorded music". It was never intended that the existence of a self-made recording in a location like Youtube would count for those sorts of purposes. Having said that, this recording - which has all the appearance of professional work - does make maintaining that boundary difficult, especially when it's of a work that does not appear to be otherwise available.

The 3 videos (for 3 movements) were uploaded in February 2015, which is relatively recent. So maybe there is a chance that this will be included in an album at some date in the near future.

Update: an old LP cover found (not by me)

Hello there.

It's been a long time without any updates to the blog, but that's because there simply hasn't been any news. 2015 seems to have been a pretty barren year for Holmboe recordings. There were some rumours (not for the first time), that Da Capo might re-release their recordings of the numbered concertos in a box set but so far nothing has come of that.

2016 is getting off to a nice start for the blog at least, because I've now been able to update a couple of posts with this LP cover:

It's a small thing perhaps, but to me being able to have images of the recordings is significant. It helps people identify them and proves their existence - which in some cases might help advocate for their eventual re-release.

A huge thank you to Turner for providing this image.

Brief update

I have slightly edited the entry for unaccompanied choral works, after purchasing the 2 largest miscellaneous all-Holmboe discs.

And now... (unrecorded music)

Many of Holmboe's works are yet to be recorded. To keep this list manageable, I have only included the works with opus numbers. Even then, and even taking into account the works that appear to be missing or incomplete and thus unlikely to ever be heard, there is still a considerable amount of music that could be recorded by an enterprising label.

Da Capo in particular deserves credit for cutting down the size of this list by a large margin, and also re-recording music that is no longer readily available. But there is still a lot more music out there. If anyone tells you everything in 'classical' music has basically been recorded (a remark apparently made by a major record label executive at a conference), show them this list.

• Opus 1: Suite No.1 for chamber orchestra
• Opus 2b: Chamber Sonata No.1 (orchestration of Violin Sonata No.1)
• Opus 3: Serenade for flute, clarinet, violin, viola and cello
• Opus 5: Rhapsody for flute and chamber orchestra
• Opus 6: Suite No.2 for chamber orchestra
• Opus 7a: 3 Lyriske sange (Lyrical songs) for soprano and piano
• Opus 7b: Stilfærdige sange (Quiet songs) for mezzo-soprano and piano
• Opus 8: Rapsodisk intermezzo for violin, clarinet and piano
• Opus 9: Quartet for flute, violin, cello and piano
• Opus 10: Quintet for flute, oboe, clarinet, violin and viola
• Opus 11: Suite No.3 for chamber orchestra
• Opus 12b: Danish Suite for piano
• Opus 13a: Psalm 62 for children's choir
• Opus 13b: Concerto-symphony for violin and orchestra (incomplete)
• Opus 14: Violin Concerto No.1
• Opus 22: Concertino No.1 for violin, viola and string orchestra
• Opus 23: Fanden og borgmesteren (The Devil and The Mayor), symphonic fantasy play
• Opus 24: Concertino No.2 for violin and string orchestra (lost)
• Opus 26: String Quartet (possibly incomplete)
• Opus 28: Symphonic Overture
• Opus 32a: Den galsindede tyrk (The Ill-Tempered Turk), complete ballet
• Opus 41: Rosette (Sonatina) for soprano, tenor and piano
• Opus 42: Music for the radio play Fløjten (The Flute) (lost)
• Opus 45a: 12 Danske skæmteviser (Danish jesting ballads) for mezzo-soprano and piano
• Opus 45b: Træer og væster (Trees and plants) for mezzo-soprano and piano
• Opus 45c: Bjergenes sang (Song of the mountains) for mezzo-soprano and piano
• Opus 51: Isomeric for 2 violins and piano
• Opus 58: Sendebude (Messengers) for baritone and piano
• Opus 62: Træet (The Tree) for choir with chamber orchestra
• Opus 74: Skoven (The Forest) for choir with orchestra
• Opus 75: Tropos for string quintet
• Opus 82: Sonata for solo double bass
• Opus 83: Duo concertante for violin and viola
• Opus 88a/b: Moto austero for piano (original and revised versions)
• Opus 91: Kikbariuk (3 Inuit songs, set 2) for alto, clarinet and drums
• Opus 93a: Oboe Sonatina (original version)
• Opus 94: Zeit (Time) for alto and string quartet
• Opus 97: Trio for flute, cello and piano
• Opus 99a/b: I Venti (The Winds) for piano
• Opus 106a: Fanden løs ivildmosen (The Devil to Pay in the Marsh) for clarinet, 2 violins and double bass
• Opus 106b: Musk for fugle og frøer (Music for Birds and Frogs) - originally for 2 flutes and 16 bassoons, alternate version for 2 flutes, viola and bassoon
• Opus 107a: Edward, a border ballad for baritone and orchestra
• Opus 107b: The Wee Wee Man, a border ballad for tenor and orchestra
• Opus 109a/b: Ondata I & II (Waves I & II) for percussion
• Opus 112: Fabula I (Fable I) for organ
• Opus 118: Diafora (Differences) for strings
• Opus 128: Døgnets timer (The hours of the day) for string quartet (incomplete)
• Opus 130: Firefir for four flutes
• Opus 131: Louisiana Concerto for strings
• Opus 134: Ordet (The Word) for choir, brass and organ
• Opus 137: Trio for clarinet, cello and piano
• Opus 138a: Þótt form þín hjúpi graflín (Although a shroud covers your form) for choir
• Opus 150: Bibelsk kantate (Biblical cantata) for choir, brass and strings
• Opus 161: Ode til sjælen (Ode to the soul) for choir, brass and organ
• Opus 162: Tuba Sonata (tuba and piano)
• Opus 163: Psalm 84 for choir
• Opus 165: String Quintet
• Opus 169: Rejsende (Travellers) for choir
• Opus 172b: Translation for piano quintet
• Opus 173: Psalm 65 for choir
• Opus 177: Capriccio for clarinet and piano
• Opus 178: Sonata for solo viola
• Opus 179b: 3 + 3 = 5 for piano
• Opus 181: Winter for soprano and choir
• Opus 182: Epos for 2 pianos and percussion
• Opus 183: Die Erfüllung (The Fulfilment) for choir, woodwinds and brass
• Opus 190a: Sværm (Swarm), original version for 2 violins
• Opus 191b: Springbuk (Springbok) for recorder
• Opus 194: Vinter (Winter) incidental music for orchestra
• Opus 195: Concerto for string quartet and orchestra
• Opus 196: Ave Maria for voice and organ

Stage and screen

Holmboe wrote two operas, a ballet, a "symphonic fantasy play" and quite a few pieces of incidental music for plays and film.  However, much of this music is entirely lost and only one recording is available.

That recording is of the Suite from the ballet The Ill-Tempered Turk, op.32b (M.242). It appears that the full ballet was never performed, and some years later Holmboe prepared the suite so that at least some of the music would be heard. The recording is by Owain Arwel Hughes and the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, and it is included on their disc of orchestral concertos with Concertos 8 and 10 and the Concerto giocondo e severo (BIS CD 917).

Other choral works

Even leaving aside Liber Canticorum, Holmboe wrote a large number of works for choir, not just in Danish but in a wide variety of languages. A sizable proportion of the works for unaccompanied choir have been recorded.

Larger Holmboe collections

The Sokkelund Sangkor, conducted by Morten Schuldt-Jensen, have recorded an all-Holmboe disc of Works for A Capella Choir (Da Capo DCCD 9204).  As well as two works from Liber Canticorum (discussed in this entry) the other works included are:

• Songs 2 to 5 (not in order) from the five Lagerkvist Songs, op.34 (M.144)
• Sange mod Vårdybet (Songs Towards the Deep of Spring), op.85 (M.223)
• Cantata Profana "Frise" (Frieze), op.103b (M.248)
• A Lyke-Wake Dirge, op.110a (M.259)
• The Wee Wee Man, op.110b (M.260)
• Two Sarvig Psalms, op.154 (M.315)

This the only recording of several of the Lagerkvist Songs, most of Cantata Profana (which is a vocal transcription of Chamber Symphony No.3) and the Two Sarvig Psalms, and probably the most widely available collection of Holmboe's choral works. There is no single complete recording of the Lagerkvist Songs, in large part because no.1 is for male choir and the remaining songs (as recorded here) are for mixed choir. The booklet of the disc has English translations of the works not already in English, but does not have the original texts.

The other all-Holmboe disc available is by the Sct. Peders (Saint Peter's) Concert Choir, conducted by Karsten Blond. Their Works for Choir (Paula CD 113) does not appear to be available for download or streaming, but it is still possible to find the disc. It also includes two works from Liber Canticorum, and the rest of the program is as follows:

• Hevjið í homrum (Raise in the Passes), op.81 (M.214)
• A Lyke-Wake Dirge, op.110a (M.259)
• The Wee Wee Man, op.110b (M.260)
• Simeons lovsång (Simeon's prayer/song of praise), M.199
• Glemselshejren (The Heron of Oblivion), M.217
• Hyld (Elder Tree), M.263
• Hvad bøgetræet sang (What the Beech Tree Sang), M.xHv
• Ólavur Riddararós

I have been unable to definitively align this last work with anything in the standard Holmboe catalogue. The disc indicates it is Holmboe's arrangement of a Faroese folksong, which may mean it is what the catalogue calls Sigmundskvæðið (Sigmund's Ballad), M.ySi. Alternatively, it may be an uncatalogued work. This is the only recording of the song-cycle Hevjið í homrum and Simeons lovsång, and probably the most readily available version of a few others. The disc does not have any of the sung texts, only brief descriptions.

Another important collection, although not entirely of Holmboe, is by a male choir called Vox Aros conducted by Uffe Most. Their disc Great Danes (Contemporary Music for Male Chorus) is self-released via DiGiDi.org, and while it appears that the main way to obtain it on CD is from the choir's own website (from which the excellent booklet can also be viewed), it is widely available for download and streaming.  The Holmboe works included are:

• Song No.1 "Hemlängtan" (Homesickness) from the five Lagerkvist Songs, op.34 (M.144)
• Inuit Songs (Set 1), op.69 (M.190) (with tympani accompaniment)
• Two songs, M.122 (Ved en strandbred (On a Beach) and Jylland (Jutland))
• Ikke forlig (No Compromise), M.158
• Glemselshejren (The Heron of Oblivion), M.217

This is the only recording of the Two songs and Ikke forlig, and again this is also probably the most readily available version of some other pieces.

Other recordings - opp. 36, 77, 138 (unique releases, generally available)

The only recording of Solhymne (Hymn to the Sun), op.77 (M.208) is relatively easy to find as it is on the Da Capo label. The performance by the Danish National Vocal Ensemble, conducted by Søren Kinch Hansen, is available on Hymn to the Sun - Works for a capella choir (Da Capo 8.226051).

Song at Sunset, op.138b (M.296), to words by Walt Whitman, has been recorded once. It is performed by the Camerata Chamber Choir conducted by Michael Bojesen on Americana (Danica DCD 8154). Other composers are Grainger, Britten, Barber and Nørholm. The disc is not widely available but it does seem a few copies can be found with major stores such as Amazon, Arkivmusic and Barnes & Noble.

There are two recordings of Jeg ved en urt så dejlig og bold (I know a plant/herb so lovely and fine), op.36 (M.142), both fairly readily available.  One is by Coro Misto, conducted by Søren Birch on Lokkende toner - Enchanting Music (Danacord DACOCD 546). This also includes Speravi in Domino, op.61d from Liber Canticorum.

The other recording is by the Goteborgs Radio Choir, conducted by Knut Olof Strandberg, and is part of a 5-CD collection called Swedish Tongues: An Anthology of Choirs (1900-1950) (Caprice CAP 2163). This is available for download (the complete collection runs to over 150 tracks).

Other recordings - opp.98 (unique, not generally available) and 103

There appears to be only one complete (and hard-to-find) recording of the Three Jæger Songs, op.98 (M.232). It is performed by the Jysk Akademisk Kor (JAK, Jutland Academic Choir), conducted by Søren Birch, on Spejlinger – nyere dansk kormusik (Reflections - contemporary Danish choral music) (Point PCD 5127). Two works from Liber Canticorum are also included.

The first song, "Være-Digtet" (Being-poem), along with one movement of Cantana profana, is performed by Odense Universitets Lillekor (Odense University Chamber Choir), conducted by Carstern Mollerup, on Oh Danmark (Electra EL 0110-1 (LP) and EL 0110-2 (CD). This appears to be available from Naxos Direct in Scandinavian countries but otherwise has limited availability.

The third song, "Tidligt Forår" (Early Spring) is apparently performed by Vox Danica conducted by Ebbe Munk on 24 sange i den danske sommer/ Songs of the Danish Summer (Danica DCD 8155), but is listed as "Kom Sol".

 

Other recordings including the Border Ballads op.110

The two unaccompanied Border Ballads of op.110 are amongst the most frequently recorded of Holmboe's works, possibly because the texts are in English. In Rapaport's catalogue they are listed separately as A Lyke-Wake Dirge, op.110a and The Wee Wee Man, op.110b, but the majority of recordings include both. The following performances are in addition to the ones by Sokkelund Sangkor and Sct. Peders Concert Choir mentioned above.

The performance by the Johannes Ungdomskör (Johannes Youth Choir), conducted by Anders Eby, was made available on an LP called Nordiskt - Young Scandinavian Choir Music (Proprius PROP 9986). The recording is now available on at least one download service, Classics Online.

The Copenhagen University Choir Lille MUKO, conducted by Jesper Grove Jørgensen, recorded the ballads in 1999 for a disc called Music To Hear - Danish Choral Music From The 20th Century (Point PCD 5148).

The Carmina Chamber Choir (Kammerkoret Carmina), conducted by Peter Hanke, included the ballads on a disc of Contemporary Danish Choral Music released around 1992 (Danica DCD 8151).

Tritonus (Tritone), conducted by John Høybye, recorded both the ballads and the 5th song of Sange mod Vårdybet "Høbjærgning ved havet" (Haymaking by the sea). The LP containing these is called Dansk kormusik i 70erne (Danish choral music in the 70s) (Wilhelm Hansen LPWH-3016).

The Sankt Annæ Gymnasiekor (Saint Anna's Gymnasium Choir), directed by Ebbe Munk, included both ballads on an LP called Ballader og folkeviser (Ballads and folksongs) (Danica DLP 8083) for which I've found only one small image.

A Lyke-Wake Dirge appears alone on Ny Musik I Suså – Contemporary music from the Suså festival (Classico CLASSCD 230). The performance is by the Carmina Chamber Choir. This collection is widely available for download.

The Wee Wee Man appears alone on a 1992 disc called Lyse Nætter (Bright Nights) performed by the Jysk Akademisk Ungdomskor (Jutland Academic Youth Choir) conducted by Uffe Most (OTR CD 1010). I haven't been able to find a cover image for this disc.

Other recordings - opp.85, 119

The Koncertforeningens Kor (Concert Association Choir) conducted by Steen Lindholm performed two choral works for an LP in the Dansk Musik Antologi series (EMI DMA 076) released in 1986. They are Sange mod Vårdybet (Songs Towards the Deep of Spring), op.85 (M.223) and Lykken / Eydna (Good Fortune), op.119 (M.272), which has two titles because it exists in both Danish and Faroese versions (the Danish version being used here). The coupling is String Quartet No.1.

This is the only complete version of Eydna / Lykken. The second song, "Krabbaskelin" (The Crab Shell in its Faroese form) is the only one to be more widely available, performed by the Tórshavnar Kamarkór (Torshavn Chamber Choir) conducted by Ólavur Jøkladal on Várlongsil (Tutl FKT 11) which can be downloaded from sources like iTunes and Amazon.

There is a different, 1997 recording of Sange mod Vårdybet also by the Koncertforeningens Kor and Steen Lindholm, where the choir's name is rendered in English as "Copenhagen Concert Choir" (or "Concert Society" in some sources). This collection also includes Benedic Domino, anima mea op.59a from Liber Canticorum and works from other composers (Classico CLASSCD 289).

The fifth song of op.85, "Høbjærgning ved havet" (Haymaking by the sea) has been recorded on its own several times. The recording by Tritonus is mentioned above as it is coupled with the Border Ballads. I've only found limited information about two other performances. The Young Men's Christian Association Singers (KFUMs sangere) conducted by Jørgen Borg perform the song on a disc released around 1974/5 (Etagram EGS 11).  The Odense Motetkor (Odense Motet Choir), conducted by Ole Most, also perform the song on what may have been a self-released LP (OM 508284).

Other recordings - opp.34, 69

There are additional performances of two of the Lagerkvist Songs, op.34 (M.144). No.1, "Hemlängtan" (Homesickness), is performed by the Studentersangforeningen (Student Choral Union) or just Studentersangerne (Student Singers) conducted by Eifred Eckart-Hansen on I New York (Fona TF 119). Yes, recorded live in New York in 1967.

"Hemlängtan" is also performed by Orphei Drängar (Men of Orpheus) and Eric Ericson on an LP simply called Orphei Drängar och Eric Ericson (RCA Victor YSVL1-559).

Another performance by Norwegian quartet Quattro Stagioni (Four Seasons) appears on Voices (Aurora ARCD 1914 and also Quattro Records QCD 9302).

Song No.3, "Vem är du?" (Who are you?), has been recorded on its own twice. The Luleå Chamber Choir, conducted by Einar Isacson, include it on the LP Rondo Laponico – Contemporary Scandinavian Choir Music (Proprius PROP 7797). This is now available on Classics Online.

There is reportedly another performance by the Nordjysk Motetkor (North Jutland Motet Choir) conducted by Mad Sand on LP (Nordjysk Motetkor 66.24053-01), but I have been unable to find information on this - it appears to have been self-released and hence of limited availability even at the time.


The Studentersangforeningen (Student Choral Union) conducted by Tamás Vetö perform the Inuit Songs (Inuit-Sange) (Set 1), op.69 (M.190) on Danske Korværker (Danish Choral Works) (Fona TF 131). I haven't found an image of the cover.

Other recordings - works without opus number

The Valen Soloist Ensemble (Valens Solistensemble) perform Hvad bøgetræet sang (What the Beech Tree Sang), M.xHv on Fra Fader Bach til Fader Jacob (From Father Bach to Father John) (Bergen Digital BDCD 7014). Availability appears limited.

It is also performed by Det Danske Drengekor (The Danish Boys' Choir), conducted by Steffen Schimmel, on Fyrtøjet : Danske sange (Tinderbox: Danish Songs) (Danica DLP 8044).

The arrangement of Sigmundskvæðið (Sigmund's Ballad), M.ySi is performed by Havnarkórið (Tórshavn Choir), conducted by Ólavur Hátún on an apparently self-released LP called Kór Og Kvæði (HK 0975).

Hyld (Elder Tree), M.263 was apparently recorded by the Hasle Skole Kor (School Choir) conducted by Christian Madsen, but on a self-released LP (HSK 001) meaning it would be very difficult to find.

Finally, two of Holmboe's songs not otherwise recorded were performed by the Rørkjær-Koret in Esbjerg, conducted by Axil Eskildsen on a self-released LP called Nu er dagen fuld af sang (Now is the day full of song) (RKE 16). The songs are "Stjerneskud" (Shooting Star), No.2 of 3 Songs to texts of Louis Levy, M.202, and "Noget om at blive trådt på" (Something About Being Stepped On), No.2 of 5 Børnesange (Children's Songs), M.211.

Choral works: Works with orchestra

Holmboe wrote a number of choral works with an orchestral or large chamber accompaniment. However, only two of them have been recorded so far.

The Requiem for Nietzsche, op.84 (M.219) is a large-scale work. It has been recorded once, with Helge Rønning and Johann Reuter as soloists, and the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir conducted by Michael Schønwandt (Da Capo 8.224207). The recording is also included in the Da Capo compilation of Holmboe recordings, The Key Masterpieces (Da Capo 8.226101-02)

Beatus Parvo, op.117 (M.270) has also been recorded once, with the Danish National Opera Choir and Aalborg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes (BIS CD 1176). It is coupled with Concertos 1, 3 and 7 (for piano, clarinet and oboe respectively) from the numbered series.

Choral works: Liber Canticorum

Holmboe's works for unaccompanied choir are amongst his most popular, and amongst those the collection known as Liber Canticorum is prominent.  Liber Canticorum is not a single work, but a collection of 17 works (and a total of 34 movements) with texts taken from the Latin version of the Old Testament books of Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Isaiah and Jeremiah.

Identifying recordings of the Liber Canticorum is made more complex because that title is not always referred to. Many listings only mention the title of the particular work (taken from its first line), and with the multi-movement works each movement might simply be listed by its own first line. Holmboe complicated matters by changing his own approach to naming with the last few works. Because of this, it is worth setting out the contents of Liber Canticorum in more detail.

Liber Canticorum I, op.54 (M.172)

• Non est memoria (op.54a)
• Generatio præterit (op.54b)
• Omnia flumina (op.54c)
• Quia hæc dicit Excelsus (op.54d)
• Exspectavimus pacem / Dolor meus / Transiit messis (op.54e, 3 movements)

Liber Canticorum II, op.59 (M.178)

• Benedic Domino, anima mea / Hominis dies / Benedicite Domino (op.59a, 3 movements)
• Domine, libera animam meam / Nimium habitaavit anima mea (op.59b, 2 movements)
• Lauda, anima mea / Laudabo Dominum / Psallam Deo (op.59c, 3 movements)

Liber Canticorum III, op.60 (M.179)

• Dedique cor meum (op.60a)
• Vanitas vanitatum (op.60b)

Liber Canticorum IV, op.61 (M.180)

• Miserere mei / Evigila / Laudabo (op.61a, 3 movements)
• Cantabo Domino / Jucundum / Ego lætabor (op.61b, 3 movements)
• Domine, non superbit (op.61c)
• Speravi in Domino / Et extraxit me / Et posuit (op.61d, 3 movements)

Liber Canticorum V, op.96a (M.236)

• Beatus vir

Liber Canticorum Va "Hominis Dies", op.158a (M.318)

• Alleluia! Dicite Deo / Alleluia! Quomodo cessavit exactor / Alleluia! Vox Domini super aquas (3 movements)

Liber Canticorum Vb "Laudate Dominum", op.158b (M.319)

•  Alleluia! Voce mea ad Dominum clamavi / Exaudi, Deus / Laudate Dominum (3 movements)

There is only one complete recording of the entire collection. It involves six different choirs, collectively referred to as "Danske Kammerkor" (Danish Chamber Choirs). They are Kammerkoret Carmina (Carmina Chamber Choir), Universitetskoret Lille MUKO (University Choir Lille MUKO), Kammerkoret Camerata (Camerata Chamber Choir), Det Jyske Kammerkor (The Jutland Chamber Choir), Kammerkoret Hymnia (Hymnia Chamber Choir) and Sokkelund Sangkor (Sokkelund Choir). The collection was released as a 3-CD set (Danica DCD 8209/11). I am unsure how widely it is available - Amazon has a download version, and the CD version can be bought from at least one of the choirs, the Lille MUKO.

The set is the only source for 8 out of 17 works: opp.54a, 54b, 54d, 54e, 59b, 60a, 60b and 61b.

Individual recordings

Individual works from the collection can be found on a large number of recordings. To make it somewhat easier to navigate the listings below, I have summarised the number of additional listings for each work.

• Omnia flumina, op.54c - 1 recording
• Benedic Domino, anima mea, op.59a - 6 recordings
• Lauda, anima mea, op.59c - 3 recordings
• Miserere mei, op.61a - 1 recording  (NB only on LP)
• Domine, non superbit, op.61c - 2 recordings (NB both difficult to find)
  
• Speravi in Domino, op.61d - 2 recordings
• Beatus vir, op.96a - 2 recordings
• Hominis Dies, op.158a - 1 recording
• Laudate Dominum, op.158b - 3 recordings
  

The Sokkelund Sangkor, conducted by Morton Schuldt-Jensen, also recorded Omnia flumina op.54c and Lauda, anima mea op.59c for their all-Holmboe Works for A Capella Choir (Da Capo DCCD 9204).

The Sct. Peders (Saint Peter's) Concert Choir, conducted by Karsten Blond, include Beatus vir op.96a and Hominis Dies op.158a in their all-Holmboe disc Works for choir (Paula CD 113).

The University Choir Lille MUKO, conducted by Jesper Grove Jørgensen, recorded Benedic Domino, anima mea op.59a, Speravi in Domino op.61d and Laudate Dominum op.158b along with works by Niels La Cour for a disc called Laudate Dominum released in 1994 (Point PCD 5115). The recording of op.61d was re-used for the complete Danica set, but the others were not.

The Jysk Akademisk Kor (JAK, Jutland Academic Choir), conducted by Søren Birch, recorded Domine, non superbit op.61c and Laudate Dominum op.158b (plus the Jaeger songs, op.98 and works by other composers) for a collection called Spejlinger – nyere dansk kormusik (Reflections - contemporary Danish choral music) (Point PCD 5127). This might be available from the choir directly, as I have seen few other references to it.

The Unge Akademikeres Kor (Young Academics' Choir) conducted by Niels Møller, recorded Benedic Domino, anima mea op.59a, Lauda, anima mea op.59c and Miserere mei op.61a for an LP in the Dansk Musik Antologi series, coupled with the organ work Fabula II (Deutsche Grammophon DMA 028).

There are several more recordings of Benedic Domino, anima mea op.59a, which seems to be the single most popular work from the set. Most of these are also readily available, at least for download. A performance by the Kammerkoret Camerata / Camerata Chamber Choir, conducted by Per Enevold, originally appeared on an LP of Danish Choral Works (BIS LP 102) before being issued on the disc featuring the Cello Concerto (BIS CD 78).

Another performance by the Copenhagen Concert Choir (Koncertforeningens Kor), conducted by Steen Lindholm, appears on a program with Sange mod Vårdybet (Songs Towards the Deep of Spring) plus works by other composers (Classico CLASSCD 289).

Another widely available version is by the Oslo Cathedral Choir, conducted by Terje Kvam, on Contemporary Church Music from Scandinavia (Simax PSC 1034).

Another version, probably much more difficult to obtain, is by the Jysk Akademisk Ungdomskor (Jutland Academic Youth Choir) conducted by Uffe Most. This appears on a collection of religious-themed music called Cantate Domino (OTR CD 1017).

Lauda, anima mea op.59c is performed by Swedish choir Voces Nordicae, conducted by Lone Larsen, on a collection called Nordic Voices (Footprint Records FRCD-007).

Domine, non superbit op.61c is, according to Rapaport's catalogue, performed by the Young Men's Christian Association Singers (KFUMs sangere) conducted by Jørgen Borg (Danica DLP 8101). However, I haven't been able to confirm any information about this recording.

Speravi in Domino op.61d is performed by Coro Misto, conducted by Søren Birch again, as part of a collection called Lokkende toner - Enchanting Music (Danacord DACOCD 546). The other Holmboe work on the disc is Jeg ved en urt så dejlig og bold (I know a plant so lovely and fine).

Beatus vir op.96a is performed by the Mikaeli Kammarkör (Michaelmas Chamber Choir), conducted by Anders Eby, on a Swedish LP called Mikaeli Kammarkör Sjunger Sakralt (Sings Sacred) (Proprius PROP 7770).

Laudate Dominum op.158b is performed by the Ballerup Kammerkor (Ballerup Chamber Choir), conducted by Frede V. Nielsen on what appears to have been a self-released CD called Deo Gratia (BKK 01). However, I haven't been able to find further information on this, even from the choir's website.