“It just so happened that I got an invitation to play,” says Björn Steinar Sólbergsson, organist in Hallgrímskirkja, a nationally known musician who has long been sought after for Icelandic musicians.
Birni Steinari recently offered to play at the weekly Sunday concerts in the ancient famous church of Notre Dame in Paris, which have been held for many years, since 1968 when Pierre Cochereau, organist in the church, established them. Björn Steinar writes about the invitation on Facebook and writes, among other things:
“I first came to an organ concert in Notre Dame in the fall of 1982, at the age of 21 when Hrefna and I were studying in France. My first thought was – I want to play a concert here!”
But what would it take to get such an offer?
“I am the second Icelandic organist to play at a concert in Notre Dame, Ragnar Björnsson, former organist of the Cathedral in Reykjavík, played there in December 1985, so I am number two,” answers the organist, who has played the bridal march at quite a few weddings in Hallgrímskirkja. It seems that many people who read this interview walked out of the church during the solemn accompaniment of the organ with a life partner on their arm – at least in two thirds of the cases, if you look at the divorce rate statistics in Iceland.
Dubois explored Björn Steinar’s interest
“It came about that there are four principal organists at Notre Dame, and three of them have played at Orgelsumri in Hallgrímskirkja over the years,” says Björn Steinar. “One of them, Vincent Dubois, played here two years ago and asked me if I wanted to play. I just said yes, thank you, and now I’m invited. It’s been a long time coming, it’s booked well in advance,” says Björn Steinar.
Björn Steinar is an experienced organist and has played in many countries.
Photo/Submitted
Furthermore, he says that it is very popular to play in Hallgrímskirkja and that organists are chosen very carefully. “It’s nice to see Notre Dame starting again after the great fire (in April 2019), these concerts are open to everyone on Sundays,” says the organist, saying seven events, liturgies and concerts, at Notre Dame every Sunday, but the church reopened its doors on December 8, 2024 after the fire in the spring of 2019.
Björn Steinar’s repertoire will include works by Icelandic composers Bára Grímsdóttur, Daníel Þorsteinsson, Pál Ísólfsson and Sigurð Sævarsson.
So you set up the catalog yourself and have sole control over it?
“Yes, I choose the repertoire. On my concert tours, I put a lot of emphasis on the works of Icelandic composers, we Icelanders have an incredible number of great composers. I will play there works by Pál Ísólfsson, which are being transcribed by myself, but also Marian verse Pál’s translation by my old teacher Hauks Guðlaugsson, which is very appropriate in the Church of Our Lady in Paris,” he answers.
Works by Daniel from the 350th anniversary of Hallgrím Pétursson
Then Björn Steinar plays The hymn about the Virgin Mary by Bára Grímsdóttir in addition to the fact that he will play a piece written by his friend Daníel Þorsteinsson on the 350th anniversary of Rev. Hallgrím Pétursson the hymn poet in 2024. “It is based on the hymn Give to my mother tongue but
My opening and closing pieces are by Louis Vierne, former organist at Notre Dame,” he says.
Vierne was an organist in the church at the beginning of the 20th century, and Björn Steinar says that it is a sign of how desirable the job of organist at Notre Dame is that when the position was advertised in 1902 – and Vierne got it – 200 people applied.
“I am very proud, happy and satisfied with this,” says Björn Steinar, who is celebrating his 40th anniversary as an organist this fall. He was the organist in Akureyr Church for 20 years before he moved to Hallgrím Church.
“Touched my harp by the sky,” says the poem, and indeed she has touched Björn Steinar’s harp.
mbl.is/Sigður Bogi
Concerts are a big part of life
“Concerts have always been an important part of my life and I have regularly gone on concert tours for these 40 years. This year I am playing in France, Germany and Switzerland, I am playing in the cathedrals in Bern and Basel, among others, and then there are concerts here at home in Hallgrímskirkja, Akureyri Church and the Free Church in Reykjavík, a total of eighteen organized concerts this year,” concludes Björn Steinar Sólbergsson, a veteran organist. in the north of the heath and in Reykjavík, who plays in Notre Dame in Paris this Sunday.
Björn Steinar naturally celebrates on social media:
