Rossini’s Petite Messe Solenelle performed in July 2003 in Seltjarnarneskirkja, Iceland.
Conductor: Bragi Þór Valsson
Choir of 12 singers + soloists (who sang with the choral parts when they weren’t doing solos).
An actual offertory took place during the “Offertorium” movement. Listen out on the recording for reverend Arna Grétarsdóttir conducting the offertory.
In 2006, Bragi founded the pop choir Con Spirito. Due to business on behalf of Bragi himself, the choir only operated for one season – during that one season, we focussed on music composed by Icelandic pop composer Valgeir Guðjónsson, who has had a hugely successful career since the early 1970s. Bragi arranged all the concert’s music especially for choir and band. Valgeir himself and fellow pop-star Eyjólfur Kristjánsson performed guest-solos at the concert, held at Seltjarnarneskirkja church in December 2006.
Piano: Jón Bjarnason
Bass: Daníel Brandur Sigurgeirsson
Guitar: Ragnar Örn Emilsson
Drums: Ragnar Þór Ingólfsson
See video clips below from the 2nd half of the concert.
Hægt og hljótt (Iceland’s contribution to the 1987 Eurovision Song Contest){yendifplayer mp4=http://bragi.co.za/images/movies/Conspirito/2-1-Haegt_og_hljott.mp4 autoplay=0}
Koffort þungt sem blý {yendifplayer mp4=http://bragi.co.za/images/movies/Conspirito/2-6-Koffort_thungt_sem_bly.mp4 autoplay=0}
Stella í orlofi (from 1986’s hit movie “Stella í orlofi”) {yendifplayer mp4=http://bragi.co.za/images/movies/Conspirito/2-7-Stella_i_orlofi.mp4 autoplay=0}
Haustið ’75 (from 1982’s hit movie “Með allt á hreinu”) {yendifplayer mp4=http://bragi.co.za/images/movies/Conspirito/2-8-Haustid_75.mp4 autoplay=0}
Stella í orlofi (encore) {yendifplayer mp4=http://bragi.co.za/images/movies/Conspirito/2-9-Stella_i_orlofi-_aukalag.mp4 autoplay=0}
Clarinet recital at the Nordic House in Reykjavik in 2002.
This was Bragi’s final concert before graduating from the Sigursveinn D. Kristinsson music school. Like many other things Bragi does, he decided to do his “classical” clarinet recital a little different. The 1st part is quite traditional – clarinet with piano. The 2nd half, however, is Klezmer music that Bragi arranged, except for the last song which he borrowed from a Czech children’s TV show. He also got some great musicians to rehearse and play with him (they’re listed below).
Clarinet: Bragi Þór Valsson
Piano (1st half): Þóra Fríða Sæmundsdóttir
Guitar: Ragnar Örn Emilsson
Bass: Daníel Brandur Sigurgeirsson
Drums: Hannes Pétursson
Piano & Accordion (2nd half): Stefán Arason
1st part – w/ piano
1 – Maurice Ravel {play}images/audio/clarinet/01 – Ravel.mp3{/play}
2 – Francis Poulenc 1st movement {play}images/audio/clarinet/02 – Poulenc 1.mp3{/play}
3 – Francis Poulenc 2nd movement {play}images/audio/clarinet/03 – Poulenc 2.mp3{/play}
4 – Francis Poulenc 3rd movement {play}images/audio/clarinet/04 – Poulenc 3.mp3{/play}
5 – Igor Stravinsky 1st movement {play}images/audio/clarinet/05 – Stravinsky 1.mp3{/play}
6 – Igor Stravinsky 2nd movement {play}images/audio/clarinet/06 – Stravinsky 2.mp3{/play}
7 – Igor Stravinsky 3rd movement {play}images/audio/clarinet/07 – Stravinsky 3.mp3{/play}
The following piece was specially composed for Bragi by Finnish composer Tom Bäckström and World Premiered at this recital:
8 – Tom Bäckström 1st movement {play}images/audio/clarinet/08 – Backstrom 1.mp3{/play}
9 – Tom Bäckström 2nd movement {play}images/audio/clarinet/09 – Backstrom 2.mp3{/play}
10 – Tom Bäckström 3rd movement {play}images/audio/clarinet/10 – Backstrom 3.mp3{/play}
11 – Tom Bäckström 4th movement {play}images/audio/clarinet/11 – Backstrom 4.mp3{/play}
Rokklingarnir was a (maybe surprisingly) huge phenomenon in Iceland in the years 1989-1993. Albums sold in their truckloads, there were hundreds upon hundreds of fans at the well-promoted gigs and poster and album signings. Some of the TV performances and videos have made it onto Youtube (thanks, Youtube!) and here they are for your entertainment.
On TV show “Live with Hemmi Gunn” 29. november 1989. Bragi (the chubby kid in the strange pink outfit) sings solo around 05:20 in the video: {yendifplayer youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9cwFkQ4YIY autoplay=0}
In this music video, Bragi doesn’t actually sing, but plays two whole acting roles, on one hand the all-understanding bartender (to whom the hero is telling his sad story) and on the other hand the love-interest’s new boyfriend, a goofy looking fellow seen in the very end of the video: {yendifplayer youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xGmdzzA8xc autoplay=0}
In this TV performance from 1990, Bragi is awesomely cool as he sings a solo around 05:30 in the video: {yendifplayer youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc7ikXoveSg autoplay=0}
The group performed on the same live show yet again in 1991. No solo singing from Bragi here – just some background stuff, including very convincingly faking some bongo playing: {yendifplayer youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD1kLTYQqRI autoplay=0}
What follows are four official music videos by Rokklingarnir. How much Bragi appears in them varies dramatically but they’re all posted here for the sake of posterity. The lack of modern-day quality can be blamed on the fact that these music videos are all from VHS tape: {yendifplayer mp4=http://bragi.co.za/images/movies/rokklingarnir/musicvideo1.mp4 autoplay=0} {yendifplayer mp4=http://bragi.co.za/images/movies/rokklingarnir/musicvideo2.mp4 autoplay=0} {yendifplayer mp4=http://bragi.co.za/images/movies/rokklingarnir/musicvideo3.mp4 autoplay=0} {yendifplayer mp4=http://bragi.co.za/images/movies/rokklingarnir/musicvideo4.mp4 autoplay=0}
From 2007 to 2010, Bragi was music director at Borgarholtsskoli high school in Iceland. The few students who were interested in music at that school worked hard and ended up doing some rather unusual stuff, mostly due to how small the group was. Below are two recording examples, the first a recording from 2008 of Leonard Cohen’s well known Hallelujah, in Icelandic. The 2nd one is an old men’s choir favorite, rearranged as a heavy metal song! The group sang that song on television in the spring of 2009.
Bragi has done some home recordings during the past few years – most with his wife, Christina van Deventer. Below are the results of that work.
Hirðingjarósin
A christmas song that Valur Óskarsson (1946-2014) composed around 2008 for his daughter-in-law, Christina. Valur’s vocal parts were recorded in 2008 and the rest of the song was recorded in 2014. Bragi and Valur sing the melody and backvocals are done by Christina and Bragi.
Being Green
Recorded especially for Bragi’s mother-in-law on her birthday on Sept. 9th, 2010:
Baby It’s Cold Out There
A duet with Christina. Originally from… well, i can’t remember – but there’s a wonderful version in the movie Elf, sung by Zooey Deschanel and Leon Redbone.
Jóla jólasveinn
A 1970’s Icelandic christmas song. Christina was meant to sing some parts on this one, but she was ill so I did all the parts, with varying results (-:
Litli tónlistarmaðurinn
A classic Icelandic pop song. The title literally means “The Little Musician” and is all about that when the singer grows up he wants to be a musician and “… conduct both a band and a choir”. So it was fitting that I would record this for my mother’s 60th birthday in 2010.
Sagan af Jesúsi
Wonderful new words by Bragi Valdimar Skúlason to an old song by Mannheim Steamroller (“Keeping the Dream Alive”) . The new words make it into a Christmas Song, retelling the tale of the birth of Jesus. Christina sings the main vocal and Bragi sings the rest.
Silver Threads Among the Gold.
We recorded this for Christina’s grandmother’s birthday in 2008.
Listen out for an adorable intro and solo by none other than Rex, our multitalented guinea pig.
Smile
The wonderful old song by Charlie Chaplin. Christina and Bragi sing a duet.
Somewhere Out There
One of the best cartoon songs of all time. Originally from “An American Tail”, a story of a little Russian mouse who travels all the way to America and gets separated from his family. Duet with Christina.
Bragi participated in an odd premiere in the spring of 2003. Odd, because this was the North-American first performance of an opera composed in 1707, almost 300 years prior to this performance.
Florida State Opera put on John Eccles’ Semele, from the libretto of William Congreve. No, not Händel’s Semele – this other guy also wrote one (-:
Bragi was cast into the role of Somnus, the God of sleep (better known, really, as Hypnos, although not in this libretto). That was cool, because when you’re the God of sleep, you can miss countless rehearsals and always use the excuse that you overslept!
Somnus finally wakes up in the beginning of the 3rd act and sings Leave Me, Loathsome Light (he’s sensitive to the light after being asleep for so many centuries, you see?)
When the evil women who woke him up (Juno and Iris) remind him of his long lost love (the reason he went to sleep in the first place – it was too painful to stay awake), he sings More Sweet is That Name
Finally, for some reason that I forget, Somnus and Juno decide it’s time to skedaddle, and jointly sing the song Away Let Us Haste
The Smaladrengirnir (“The Shepherds”) vocal group was active from 1997 to 2004. In 2001, the group made an album which contained 12 tracks, some original compositions and some not. Below are the songs from the album for your listening pleasure.
1 – Smaladrengurinn (The Shepherd). An Icelandic folk song, often performed by the group for the obvious reason that it has the same name as the group.
Song & lyrics: Folk song Singing: Smaladrengirnir (Bragi on melody) Arrangement: Bragi Þór Valsson Drums: Hannes Pétursson Piano: Hugi Þórðarson Bass: Daníel Brandur Sigurgeirsson Guitar: Ragnar Örn Emilsson
2 – Prestsvísur (A Priest’s Story). A folk song. The story is a silly conversation between a priest and his wife. The priest in this case is performed by an actual priest and the role of the wife by the guy who performed the same role in the 1960’s recording that made the song really popular.
Song & lyrics: Folk song Arrangement: Smaladrengirnir Singing: Pálmi Matthíasson and Ólafur Þórðarson Vocals: Smaladrengirnir Drums: Hannes Pétursson Bass: Daníel Brandur Sigurgeirsson Guitar: Ragnar Örn Emilsson
3 – Sólarlönd (Summer Holiday). An old standard made famous by Cliff Richard.
Song: Bruce Beck and Brian Bennett Lyrics: Valur Óskarsson Arrangement: Bragi Þór Valsson Singing: Bragi Þór Valsson Vocals: Smaladrengirnir Drums: Ragnar Þór Ingólfsson Bass and guitars: Daníel Brandur Sigurgeirsson Clarinet and keyboard: Bragi Þór Valsson Accordion: Stefán Arason
4 – Whiskey on the Way. The author himself usually introduces this song as an originally composed Irish folk-song. Sure sounds like one!
Song and lyrics: Daníel Brandur Sigurgeirsson and Ragnar Örn Emilsson Arrangement: Daníel Brandur Sigurgeirsson, Ragnar Örn Emilsson and Bragi Þór Valsson Singing: Daníel Brandur Sigurgeirsson Vocals: Smaladrengirnir 6-string guitar and mandolin: Daníel Brandur Sigurgeirsson 12-string guitar: Ragnar Örn Emilsson Fedóg Irish tin whistle: Bragi Þór Valsson
5 – SMS. Our attempt at a Justin Timberlak-y kind of pop song.
Song: Daníel Brandur Sigurgeirsson and Bragi Þór Valsson Lyrics: Valur Óskarsson Arrangement: Daníel Brandur Sigurgeirsson and Bragi Þór Valsson Singing: Daníel Brandur Sigurgeirsson Vocals: Smaladrengirnir Drums: Hannes Pétursson Bass and guitar: Daníel Brandur Sigurgeirsson Guitars: Ragnar Örn Emilsson
6 – Agnus Dei. Educated readers might know that Agnus Dei means “Lamb of God”. Bragi’s father wrote the words to this song after seeing a news report about a small town priest who had a pet lamb. The little animal followed him everywhere he went like a dog. Then the musical nerds that the band members are came up with the title Agnus Dei. Well, it seemed funny at the time!
Song and lyrics: Daníel Brandur Sigurgeirsson Arrangement: Daníel Brandur Sigurgeirsson and Bragi Þór Valsson Singing: Hugi Þórðarson Vocals: Smaladrengirnir Bass and guitar: Daníel Brandur Sigurgeirsson Guitar: Ragnar Örn Emilsson Accordion: Stefán Arason
Album recorded and mixed at the FIH studio, Laugarneskirkja church and Hljóðriti in November 1998, October 2000 and July 2001. I Got Rhythm recorded live at Icelandic National Radio TV in February 2001.
Recording engineers: Jón Skuggi, Valgeir G. Ísleifsson and Ari Dan
Lebone II College of the Royal Bafokeng – Chamber Choir
1 – Someone Like You mashup (Someone Like You, The Edge of Glory / Hot N Cold)
2 – Stand By Me mashup, studio recording (Stand By Me / Every Breath You Take / Beautiful Girls)
3 – Oh Happy Day (Edwin Hawkins)
4 – You and I and George (Matt Dennis, arr. Bragi Þór Valsson) {loadspidervideoplayer track=26 theme=5 priority=flash}
5 – Keep Your Lamps (African-American traditional, arr. Dr. André Thomas) {loadspidervideoplayer track=27 theme=5 priority=flash}
6 – Stand By Me Mashup, video of live performance (Stand By Me / Every Breath You Take / Beautiful Girls){loadspidervideoplayer track=28 theme=5 priority=flash}
7 – Söknuður (Jóhann Helgason / Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson), performed by Regomoditswe Pilane
Someone Like You mashup soloists: Thato Phinithi, Olebogeng More and Hannah Dwyer
Stand By Me mashup soloists: Regomoditswe Pilane, Liam Jennings, Thato Phinithi and Murray Hines
Oh Happy Day soloists: Regomoditswe Pilane, Thato Phinithi, Oreratile Gaoraelwe and Olebogeng More
