Uppsala Domkyrkas Gosskör
Encyclopedia
Uppsala Domkyrkas Gosskör (the Boys' Choir of Uppsala Cathedral) is the oldest boys' choir
in Sweden
, formed in 1920. The then Archbishop
of Sweden, Nathan Söderblom
, had heard boys' choirs in Germany
and England
and decided to institute a similar choir at Uppsala Cathedral
.
In 1927, the composer Otto Olsson
dedicated his choral work Jesu Corona Celsior to the choir and its leader, Fredrik Mellander. In the late 1960s, King Gustav VI Adolf became Protector of the choir.
Today, Uppsala Domkyrkas Gosskör has approximately 100 members between the ages of 8 and 28, 50 of whom are members of the main concert choir. The choir has made a number of tours in Europe, as well as a tour in the United States in 2010.
Boys' choir
A boys' choir is a choir primarily made up of choirboys who have yet to begin puberty or are in the early to middle stages of puberty and so retain their more highly pitched childhood voice type...
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, formed in 1920. The then Archbishop
Archbishop of Uppsala
The Archbishop of Uppsala has been the primate in Sweden in an unbroken succession since 1164, first during the Catholic era, and from the 1530s and onward under the Lutheran church.- Historical overview :...
of Sweden, Nathan Söderblom
Nathan Söderblom
Lars Olof Jonathan Söderblom was a Swedish clergyman, Archbishop of Uppsala in the Church of Sweden, and recipient of the 1930 Nobel Peace Prize...
, had heard boys' choirs in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and decided to institute a similar choir at Uppsala Cathedral
Uppsala Cathedral
Uppsala Cathedral is a cathedral located centrally in the city of Uppsala, Sweden. It dates back to the late 13th century and at a height of 118.7 m is the tallest church building in Scandinavia. Originally built under Roman Catholicism and used for coronations of the Swedish monarch, since the...
.
In 1927, the composer Otto Olsson
Otto Olsson
Otto Olsson was a Swedish composer of classical music.Otto Olsson was one of the greatest organ virtuosos of his time. He studied organ with Lagergren and composition with Dente at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, and then joined the faculty there, where he taught harmony and then organ...
dedicated his choral work Jesu Corona Celsior to the choir and its leader, Fredrik Mellander. In the late 1960s, King Gustav VI Adolf became Protector of the choir.
Today, Uppsala Domkyrkas Gosskör has approximately 100 members between the ages of 8 and 28, 50 of whom are members of the main concert choir. The choir has made a number of tours in Europe, as well as a tour in the United States in 2010.
Conductors
- Fredrik Mellander 1920–1946
- Birger Oldermark 1946–1967
- Folke BohlinFolke Bohlin (musicologist)Folke Bohlin is a Swedish musicologist and choral conductor. His chief area of research is Swedish church music, particularly that after the Reformation, and he is a former Professor emeritus of musicology at Lund University.-Biography:...
1967–1968 - Jan Åke Hillerud 1968–1976
- Stefan ParkmanStefan ParkmanStefan Parkman is a Swedish conductor. He is a professor at Uppsala University, where he holds the Eric Ericsson chair of choral conducting....
1976–1988 - John-Erik Eleby 1988–1989
- Erik Hellerstedt 1989–1990
- David Anstey 1990–1994
- Bengt Isaksson 1994
- John Wilund 1995–1996
- Andrew Canning 1996–2003
- Margareta Raab 2003–