Composition Details
- Arranged by: Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen
- Published by: Inquire with the Danish National Girls' Choir - not published yet
- Canadian Work: No
- Duration: 3:40
Performed in Concert
Conductor Notes:
Always on the lookout for repertoire when we have a string quartet, I was delighted to discover that the Danish String Quartet has collaborated with the Danish National Girls’ Choir and together created some striking and original arrangements in recent years. I strongly recommend their live performances on YouTube, and they have also produced a CD together called “Om Oss”. Unfortunately, the choral arrangements are layered on top of modified, existing DSQ string arrangements, and the results are not published as sheet music. It is possible to buy the string quartet parts online, but not as performed with the choir. This led me on a long journey to find the music and get permission to perform it. My deepest thanks to Marlene Dröge Nielsen at the DSQ and Anne Karine Prip of the DNGC for finding a way! I do hope they will be motivated to publish these in the future.
Kisti du Kom is one of the pieces on “Om Oss” – a traditional, upbeat Swedish dance tune arranged by one of the DSQ’s violinists. In the middle of the piece, we hear the first verse of one of Sweden’s most famous and lyrical folk songs, Uti vår Hage. While both deal with spring love and nature, they could not be more different. Nevertheless, the latter is woven cleverly on top of the Kisti du Kom tune to great effect. The music is not difficult to learn – the hardest part is Swedish sung at breaknek speed! This arrangement closed our “Lake of Stars” program in 2022 on an upbeat note.
Let me know if you notice the choral version of this is published, and I will update this website.
I have a pronunciation recording of the Swedish if anyone needs it.
TEXT:
Kisti du kom
du nog vill du väll svänga
ser jag rätt på dig
så har du nog lust
Uti vår hage där växa blå bär.
Kom hjärtans fröjd
Vill du mig någe’, så har du mig här!
Kom liljor och aquileja,
Kom rosor och saliveja,
Kom ljuva krusmynta, kom hjärtans fröjd!
TRANSLATION:
Kisti, you’ve come,
And I think you’re glad you’re here.
If I look at you right,
You’ll probably be in the mood.
In our pasture grow blueberries.
Come, heart’s joy.
If you need me for something, we will meet there!
Come lilies and aquilegia,
come roses and salvia!
Come sweet crisp-leafed mint, come, heart’s joy!
The English translation of the Kisti du Kom section is by Kari Turunen.