Pictures, videos, reviews and an article about the Christmas concert

Alexander takes part in the Norwegian Christmas tour “Stille Natt Hellige Natt” (Silent Night Holy Night), with 52 concerts before Christmas Eve. Everywhere they perform, the audience give them great reviews, and Alexander gets big applause for his violin plays. Not to mention that there is a huge line for his book signing after each concert 🙂

And since it is not possible for all of Alexander’s fans to attend these concerts, we have gathered some videos of songs they performed   in 2012, 2013 and also this year, so you all can get into the Christmas spirit. There are also video interviews with the artists. And a big thank you to Marit O. who has provided us pictures from the concert in Stavanger 🙂

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Hover over the pictures and you will see the video behind each picture. Enjoy!

                

INTERVIEWS IN “GOD MORGEN NORGE”

Here we have gathered some of what people have commented about the concert. Source: Billettservice

This was very good. Beautiful and varied music. And very good with the new artists Maria and Alexander. Wouldn’t mind sitting another two hours listening to these five artists.  Rota from Klæbu 

Fantastic show 5/5 -A wonderful and evocative Christmas concert. Especially Alexander Rybak violin was top-notch. Livvi, Trondheim

A GREAT !!! experience to attend this concert 🙂 Phenomenally violin play of Rybak and gorgeous voices from both the female and male artists. Great led by the pro Rune Larsen who has a wonderful sense of humor and a twinkle in his eye 🙂 Have liked that man for years 🙂 Voxing was also a marvelous choir to listen to.Conclusion: fantastic !! Klocken, Ålesund

Especially beautiful and varied Christmas concert. It’s has become a tradition to attend this concert in the pre-Christmas time and the concert was beyond expectation. The newcomers Maria Haukås Mittet and Alexander Rybak made the concert extra varied and nice. Among the many highlights in the concert I will mention Maria’s interpretation of the North Norwegian Christmas song and Rybak’s imagination over a well-known and loved advent song. It was great to hear Tor Endresen English version of the “Fader Vår”. Rune Larsen battering the concert on his usual capricious way and his simple propagation of the Christmas season messages. This was a great experience and I will highly recommend the concert. Kjell S, Førde

Alexander Rybak delivered his solo’s with perfection, and received great applause and respect from the audience. I was moved to tears in “Mitt Hjerte alltid vanker”. I swear his violin actually has a voice. . AnniJo, United Kingdom. Read Anni’s full report HERE

Sing about the first night of Christmas

Article in Agderposten 04.12.15 Author/photo:  Karl Johan Emanuelsen Found by Ulli C

It’s become a tradition that the Christmas concert “Silent Night Holy Night” is performed at Trefoldighetskirken during advent. This year is no exception. The quintet was here Wednesday afternoon.

 

We like it at Trefoldighetskirken. You are a good audience and we notice that you have made this concert a tradition during the time before Christmas, said Rune Larsen who led the audience through the varied programme.

Annual tour

The concept “Silent Night Holy Night” has been touring all over the country for many years, and Rune Larsen has been a constant member all the time. The other artists in the team have varied a bit throughout the years. This year he brought with him Maria Haukaas Mittet, Marian Aas Hansen, Alexander Rybak and Tor Endresen, in addition to the musicians Jon- Willy Rydningen and Olav Torget. A witty team.

Christmas mood

You got in a Christmas mood from the beginning when the artists started off with “Nå tennes tusen julelys”, which was performed in a gentle way and faded into the majestic “Kom nå med lovsang” (O Come all ye Faithful).

Maria Haukaas Mittet was a lovely addition to the Silent Night Holy Night team. She sang amongst other things some of Trygve Hoff’s original Christmas songs from the northern part of Norway. Amongst others “Lyset i mørketida” which she sang on TV in a Christmas programme Rune Larsen hosted when she was 11 years old. She should really continue to share Trygve Hoff’s song treasures with the rest of the country.

Seriousness and humour

It was also beautiful when Alexander Rybak played his variations over “Når vi tenner våre lykter” from Jul i Skomakergata, it was his first memory from Norway as a five-year old.

Rune Larsen is almost like a preacher when he binds the songs together. You get the gospel of Christmas told in a genuine, but also humorous way. Also in the songs it’s a mix between seriousness and humour. He quoted the apostle Paul who wrote that the greatest of all is love and added that God’s gift of love for humanity is that he sent his son during the night of Christmas.

Today’s news coverage is full of refugees who seek a new home. Jesus was also a refugee. Joseph and Mary and the small child had to escape to Egypt when it got too dangerous at home. What would’ve happened if they had been rejected on the border of Egypt? Larsen said amongst other things.

It wasn’t just the joys of Christmas he emphasised. He compared Christmas to a magnifying glass.

Everything is enhanced during Christmas. Not just joy, but also sorrow he said, and this was followed by the song “Don’t give up” performed by Tor Endresen and Marian Aas Hansen.

Towards the end of the concert the audience got to hear “Mitt hjerte alltid vanker”, beautifully performed by Rybak and “O Holy Night” majestically performed by Endresen. Now Christmas can arrive.