Art Festival in Reykjavík will be held for the 35th time today, Saturday. Among the events of the day, the Reykjavík school bands will perform the composition “Loftvögi” by Samúel Jón Samúelsson for the first time, and it will take place at Hörputorgi at 14.44. Four school bands will perform the work together, many hundreds of young people together, under the direction of Samuel. They play metal, woodwind and percussion instruments, come from different places and finally unite at Hörputorg.
“Atmospheric pressure” is an old term for air pressure, as stated on the Art Festival in Reykjavík’s website, and the name of the piece also refers to the equal weight of everyone who blows in the piece. “In the brass bands there are also percussion instruments and there is also pressure and skin. I felt that both of them caught it and then it is also the young people who put pressure on us to behave properly,” says Samuel. He thought that he was well aware of what he was doing, i.e. mixing these four different bands in one composition. “I thought it was a strong word and a good grasp of the concept, it was like nothing deeper than that,” adds Samuel by way of explanation.
The students of the school bands participate.
From different sources
He is asked to tell the readers about the piece that will be performed by the four school bands of Reykjavík, i.e. Vestur and Miðbær, Austurbær, Grafarvog and finally Árbær and Breiðholt. “It’s like the four cardinal directions,” says Samuel about the bands and the idea behind this crowded performance. “The piece is written with the intention of the bands lining up, facing each other and each with their own call sign. They are called on, then merge into one band and blend. The atmosphere will hopefully be like some organic phenomenon that blossoms. The composition is simple in nature, so that all the bands can learn it by heart. There are both beginner bands and more advanced bands and this was thought of as something that might be suitable everyone,” says Samuel. “This is of course a certain performance along the way, around 500 kids who come together and play, and therefore a unique opportunity to hear very ‘big’ music outdoors,” says Samúel, but the performance will take place on the square in front of Harpa. “We trust that the weather gods will be with us,” adds Samuel jokingly.
Samuel is nationally known as a trombonist, composer and conductor and has played with numerous bands and musicians during his career, composed and arranged numerous compositions. He completed his master’s degree in composition at the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2023 and has been teaching music and conducting school bands in Reykjavík. However, he has never managed such a large orchestra before. “I’m very excited about this,” says Samuel about the project, “I’ve been visiting all the bands and then in smaller groups. This will actually be the first time everyone gets together and there’s a certain level of excitement in that too.”
He says he is looking forward to the performance. “I think I have prepared this well. It will be a hugely fun project to do this and for all the kids as well, to meet and take part in such a big project. They are all very excited too, I know, about playing at the Art Festival in Reykjavík.”
Enjoying in the meantime
In addition to Samúel and Lára Sóleyjar Jóhannsdóttir, the artistic director of the Art Festival, choreographer Valgerður Rúnarsdóttir will provide the artistic implementation. “These are four bands from four directions, and I haven’t fully figured it out, but I’m very excited. It’s going to be a challenge and fun,” says Samuel Kimin. “Then all of a sudden it’s over, something you’ve been carrying in your stomach for months. So you have to remember to enjoy yourself in the meantime,” says Samuel.
He considers himself lucky to have gotten to know the work of various and different school bands along with other projects. “I like to deal with new things and I like big bands and such antics. I want to do more of that and have done quite a bit with big bands, “big bands”, says Samúel, who leads a big band under his own name, Samúel Jón Samúelsson Big Band, which celebrated its quarter-century anniversary last year with pomp and show. More information about the Art Festival in Reykjavík can be found on the website listhatid.is.
