Memento (2024) 21′
for Choir and Orchestra
2.2.2.2 – 2.2.2.0 – 2Perc – Choir (SSSAAATTTBBB) – Strings
Commissioned by The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir and Arctic Philharmonic with support from Arts and Culture Norway.
First performance in Tromsø Domkirke, April 10, 2024, by The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir and Arctic Philharmonic, conducted by Grete Pedersen.
Memento revolves around themes of transience and memory, explored through text, archival recordings, and music. The text, Memento homo, quia pulvis es et in pulverem reverteris (“Remember, human, that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”), is often used in churches in connection with Ash Wednesday.
Musicians positioned in galleries and among the audience create an immersive sound experience, where unsettling signals and comforting tones move through the space. A recording of Ola M. Vanberg (1869–1968) from Stryn is played, featuring him singing the religious folk tune “Alt forvandles skal til støv” (“All shall turn to dust”). The choral music never directly quotes this melody but reflects its contours and harmonic colors, creating a subtle link between tradition and innovation, between the transient and the timeless.