Vanheim

Name: Vanheim
SKU: JH-GRL17
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5.00 (1 reviews)

Johanna Malmberg

Colossal, grand, and rewarding.

Choral

Difficulty: 5

JH-GRL17

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for SSSAATTBB choir a cappella

Graphite is proud to welcome Swedish composer Johanna Malmberg with her premier piece “Vanheim.” A colossal work reminiscent of Baroque masters such as Caldara and Praetorius, “Vanheim” is a thrilling achievement of vocal orchestration and a slow burn of anticipation, until the brilliant, concluding chords. Malmberg constructs a “wall of sound” that would fill an acoustically live space. Great for large ensembles looking for a challenge.

Johanna Rebecca Malmberg (b. 1994) is a Swedish composer, arranger and producer. She works with music in all genres and she specializes in classics and electronics. In addition to writing scores and working with live musicians, she has a deeper knowledge of how to produce, record and mix in many different DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations). No matter what genre, people describe Johanna’s music as “Moving”, “Soundful” and “Cinematic”.

Johanna has studied Classical Composition for composer Rolf Martinsson at the Music Academy in Malmö, a 3 year bachelor programme at Lund University (Sweden). Before that she studied two years at the Arrangement/Composition program at Sundsgårdens Folkhögskola (Sweden). When Johanna was 17 she initiated a mentorship with Jan Lundgren, one of Sweden’s top jazz pianists and senior lecturer at the Music Academy in Malmö. Johanna has composed for many great live events such as Lund Kårer’s 150th anniversary at the University’s 350th anniversary in 2017. She also wrote the Lund Carnival’s official overture in 2018. In addition to recurring collaborations with the academy’s orchestra, Johanna has worked with Malmö Sinfonietta, Jönköping Sinfonietta and Stockholm’s Wind Orchestra, Swedish Wind. Beside this she has also led choirs and bands by Lund University as bandmaster/conductor, and cooperated with jazz musicians, such as Anna-Pauline Andersson and Mattias Nilsson, jazz pianist. Since her graduation from the Music Academy in Malmö 2018, Johanna has broadened her digital work through collaborations with various artists and by joining several competitions. In 2019 she released her first songs on spotify and in august of 2021 Johanna began studying Virtual Composition and Sound Design at Östra Grevie Folkhögskola for composer and sound designer Johan Holmström. Throughout the years Johanna has received several awards and recognitions, such as Lund’s Annual Cultural Scholarship (2021) and as winner of the Spitfire Audio’s composer competition #12ScoresOfChristmas (2021).

Composer’s Notes

This viking song is about the first war in the world according to northern mythology, the battle of Vanaheimr (or Vanheim). It was held between the Vanir and the Æsir, two families of gods in which the first one is associated with fertility, wisdom, and the ability to see the future. And the latter represents gods of bloodthirst, strength and power. You will hear that the lyrics in this piece are different depending on if you’re a male or a female singer. That’s because they represent each family of gods and have their own agendas. This story has been told in so many different versions that no one knows how the war began or how it ended. However, though this war seemes unresolved æsir and vanir have a common goal, to achieve peace in Vanheim.

Wild and peace (direct Swedish translation: Vilda frid = Wild peace) is sung by the æsir and vanir as a description of Vanheim as a being rather than a place. Or as a wild, uncontrolled peace spirit from nature.

-Johanna Malmberg

Text

Vilda frid.
Du är mitt allting. Vilda frid i Vanheim.

Vilda frid.
Tack för mat och liv vilda Vanheim.
Vilda frid, tack för mat och frid vilda Vanheim. Vackra och älskade frid.

Vilda frid, du förför mig med ditt hjärtas fröjd. Låt mig komma in vackra gudinna.
Giv mig ett hem, Vanheim.
Giv mig ett liv.

Vilda, vackra och älskade frid. Mitt Vanheim!

Ja! Ja!
Nej, ge dig av!

Ge mig din hand, stanna kvar! Snälla jag ber dig.

Vi gav er ett liv och ni kom med strid! Vi är inte skyldiga er någonting! Återse er tid och förhindra krig!

Så, vilda Vanheim ge oss av din tid och vi lovar fred.
Ge oss Vanheim. Ge oss Vanheim nu!

Stå för Vanheim.
Strid för Vanheim nu! Vi förtjänar liv som ni!

Älskade Tor, förlåt den som tar strid. Den fylld med hat har mörker i sitt liv. Kan vi förstå och förhindra ett krig? Älskade Tor min ge mig nu din hand. Kärleken segrar oavsett din stam.

Vår död tillsammans är en dröm i brand.

Älskade Freja, hör den som tar strid. Den fylld med hat har mörker i sitt liv. …förhindra ett krig?
Älskade Freja, jag ger dig min hand. Kärleken segrar oavsett din stam.

…är en dröm i brand.

Fred med dig i Vanheim. Lev i fred i Vanheim.
I Vanheim, i fred i Vanheim! Vilda frid!
Vilda…
Vild-a frid, frid, frid.
Vilda frid, frid.
Frid, frid.

– sung in Swedish

Wild and peace.
You’re my everything.
Wild and peace in Vanheim.

Wild and peace.
Thanks for everything wild, wild Vanheim.
Wild and peace, thanks for everything wild Vanheim. Wild and peace, lovely wild.

Wild and peace, you seduce me with your joy of heart. Let me in your life.
Give me a home, Vanheim.
Give me a life.

Wild and beautiful love, lovely wild. My Vanheim!

Ja! Ja!
No, go away!

Give me your hand, let me stay! Please I beg you.

We all let you in and you came with war! We will never owe you anything at all! Look upon yourself and prevent a war!

So, wild Vanheim, please give us your time and we promise peace.
Give us Vanheim. Give us Vanheim now!

Keeping Vanheim.
Fight for Vanheim now!
We deserve life just like you!

My beloved Tor, forgive all those who fight. Those filled with hate has darkness in their life. Can we prevent this? Is there any way?
My beloved Tor, please promise me your hand. Love always wins no matter where we stand. Our death together is a burning dream.

Freja my love, forgive all those who fight.
Those filled with hate have never touched thelight. Is there any way?
My beloved Freja, I’ll give you my heart.
Love always wins no matter who we are.
…is a burning dream.

Peace with you in Vanheim.
Live in peace in Vanheim.
In Vanheim, in peace in Vanheim! Wild and peace!
Wild and…
Wild and peace, peace, peace. Wild and peace, peace.
Peace, peace.

– English translation

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