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God Has Sent To Us One Of His Angels -- |
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Firstly, we are pleased to offer this Commemorative "Collector's Edition" of the "Reflections Series" that Sissel released in 2019. It is a four disk DVD set consisting of 51 Music Videos and 51 corresponding "Talks" Videos. Please 
Secondly, we are VERY pleased to offer this four DVD Commemorative "Collector's Edition" -- "Platinum Treasures", consisting of: "Sissel w. the Tabernacle Choir", "Strålende Jul w. Sissel", and a collection of "Platinum Favorites". Please 
Thirdly, we are IMMENSELY pleased to offer this four DVD Commemorative "Collector's Edition" -- "Sissel's World", including original songs with lyrics written by Sissel herself. Please
"Sissel" is the Norwegian derivative of the English name "Cecilia" It is a rare and unusual name, commonly found in Denmark and Norway, where it is cherished for its traditional roots. The name is sometimes associated with notable figures in music and arts. Its connection to nature and strength makes it suitable for individuals that embody these qualities. Objectively, it is most commonly associated with the Latin word "caecus", meaning "blind or dim-sighted". Subjectively, however, the name is also linked to Saint Cecilia, a Roman martyr, considered to be the patron saint of music and musicians. This connection often leads to interpretations of Cecilia as representing spiritual vision, hidden beauty, or a girl with vision more than sight. It symbolizes the depth of perception beyond seeing (on the surface). The above listed three DVD collections EACH contain OVER five hours of "Angelic and Heavenly Sights and Sounds", designed to transport the listener from this world of earthly cares into Sissel's World of Ethereal Beauty. |
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To Listen to over 500 of Sissel's Captivating Performances - Broken Down Into 18 Categories & Arranged in Chronological Order -- Please Click HERE. |
NORDIC: On Monday, Sissel Kyrkjebø's (36) new album, "Nordic Winter Night", will be released in Norway. On February 14, she will release an album in the United States. Seven million records sold in total is the answer so far. There are two good reasons why Sissel refuses to get up to speed with the USA career everyone is nagging about. Their names are Sarah and Ingrid. — I was in a meeting with the record company in America yesterday. They are determined to release a record over there. I just get a little stressed about the time. I can't see how I can follow it up, with the children and everything. Sissel Kyrkjebø eats eggs and bacon. We are at Bølgen and Moi at Briskeby in Oslo. She is as cheerful as a sun, and looks impressively dewy, despite the fact that it is long before nine hours. She owes this not least to her steady shadow, the stylist Thorbjørg "Doddi" Bache, who swoops around us with falcon eyes.
Folk songs The occasion is Sissel's new album, "Nordic Winter Night", which will be released in this country on Monday. At home in Denmark, it was released already last week, while the CD will be released in Sweden at the end of next week.
The album is specially crafted for the Scandinavian market, with Norwegian, Danish and Swedish folk songs, plus an Icelandic lullaby. As a bonus, a DVD is included, from a concert Sissel did with guest artists in Drammen Theater in 2002. Despite the fact that she has toured the world this year with "The Lord of The Rings Symphony", and has two record releases in the US behind her, it is in Scandinavia that she has her biggest market. She drew a total of 120,000 people over the course of three weeks on her latest tour of Scandinavia.
"Listen, America..." But it was this thing about the United States then, which she feels everyone else is more concerned about than herself.
Universal Music's American division will release the Sissel album on February 14, on Valentine's Day itself. Preparations for the launch are well underway, in the direction of TV and concerts.
Many artists would walk over corpses for such an interest. Not Copenhagen-resident Sissel with a spare apartment in Oslo; the mother of Sarah (6) and Ingrid (9).
--- "When we had this meeting with America yesterday, I said to them 'listen, I have two children that I want to see grow up'. America requires an insane amount of work and an incredible amount of time. I will never move over there. Why do you always go to America? But we may still be able to do it in America," she says. The knife trick Time for a photo. Doddi is out in a flash with the powder broom, and checks his hair and outfit carefully. Since rumor has it that half of hairdressing Norway these days gets female customers in the salon with clippings of Sissel with her new hairstyle, we just have to bring the trick to the market.
— Doddi cuts my hair. She's been doing my hair for thirteen years. That is, - she cuts it with a knife. And then I've welded on the bottom lids," she says willingly. And when we can add that Sissel has thick hair with a natural fall and doesn't have to use a lot of styling products, and that she doesn't blow-dry her hair, then surely everyone should be happy? |
Sissel Kyrkjebø is back with a new studio album. She has chosen 13 songs from Norway, Sweden and Denmark. "Nordic Winter Night" was recorded the last six months in Oslo and Trondheim with Kjetil Bjerkestrand as producer. Photo: Cornelius Poppe, Scanpix. Sissel Kyrkjebø is ready with the album "Nordic Winter Night". And Sissel had to ask her kids before releasing her new record. Because when you release an album in four languages, it presents challenges. "Yes, everything that is Norwegian is a challenge. I've sung Swedish quite a few times before, but Danish and Icelandic were a bit new even though I've lived in Denmark for 16 years. But I don't speak Danish," says Sissel Kyrkjebø, who is ready with a new album, where she has collected Nordic songs that she has carried for a long time. Nervous about Danish And she sings in Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic and Danish. But when Sissel was about to release her new album, she was especially nervous about her second mother tongue Danish. She has lived in Denmark for many years, but helped her daughters to check their language. "I was a little nervous when I was going to perform these Danish songs for my little daughters for the first time. Because I kind of had to ask, 'Is this Danish?'" laughs Sissel. "Yes, Mom — it's Danish. A little," the daughters replied. Expert guidance - As for Icelandic, I received expert guidance. I've sung Icelandic before on the "Innerst i soulen" album. There sang an Icelandic hymn. But when you don't have the language around you on a daily basis, it's a little different. But Icelandic is actually very close to our own language," says Sissel. It's been a long time since we've heard Sissel sing in Norwegian on record, and it's also going to be a long time before we get a pop record again from her. Now she wants to get back to her roots and make more classical music and the kind of folk tunes that we hear on "Nordic Winter Night". - Yes, quite a lot has happened. And where I am now I feel is very right. Many to choose from Sissel had a number of melodies with her in the studio when she was making her new record. And it's not easy to pick out songs when you have so many in stock. - Yes, it was really "kill your darlings". We recorded 22 songs together with the Trondheim Soloists and my band and other contributors. But it was incredibly difficult to end up with 13 songs. - You could release double albums? - Yes, indeed I could. So it's kind of good to know that I might not have to go into the studio so much in the next two years. New album? - Does that mean the rest will also be released eventually? - Yes, you shouldn't ignore it. But new songs keep popping up. And I feel that where I have ended up now, especially with this collaboration with Kjetil Bjerkestrand, here I feel that I can really frolic and play, endlessly, says Sissel Kyrkjebø. |
It came as a shock to entertainer Eddie Skoller, when his wife suddenly quit. When Sissel Kyrkjebø divorced the almost 60-year-old Eddie Skoller. She was the one who wanted to end the relationship. "I'll honestly admit that I didn't quite understand what was happening when Sissel left me. Intellectually, of course, there were no problems. I understood it with the brain. But emotionally, I couldn't quite understand it, but I can today," he told B.T. Today, the divorce has come so far away that Eddie Skoller easily understands that it was mainly the age difference that was the biggest challenge for marriage. "There's a lot more going on for a woman between the ages of 20 and 35 than for a man like me between the ages of 45 and 60. And if, for example, Sissel had been 30 years old when we met, everything would probably have been different," he told the newspaper. The relationship between Eddie Skoller and his ex-wife is now fine, says the entertainer. Oct. 9, 2012 - 18:40 PM
Eddie Skoller: I was a father in Sissel's life They were solid material in the magazines and their love story was the one the Danes could talk about. Therefore, the shock was great when Eddie Skoller and Sissel Kyrkjebø suddenly announced their divorce. "When I met Sissel, she always said to people when they asked about the age difference: The heart has no wrinkles. And that's right, too. - But in retrospect, it is probably few relationships where the age difference is so large and where one partner is so young which lasts, says Eddie Skoller. He admits that after the divorce he constantly wondered what went wrong between him and Sissel Kyrkjebø. "Sissel was only 20 at the time and I was 45. And what she needed back then wasn't just a boyfriend. It was just as much a father, someone who could make decisions for her and help her. - And there I was ideal, you could say, because I had a lot of experience. Also from show biz. She wanted to be separated from her parents because she had started as a child star. And over time, I became kind of chairman of the board in her life because she needed it and wanted it. Became the dominant "She pushed it over to me and was glad I bothered to take care of it. "But at some point you get into a modus operandi, and in retrospect, I probably should have said sooner, 'OK, now it's your table. I don't mind being on the board. But you have to take the chairmanship yourself. Now you have to take responsibility for your own life and your own decisions and your own career." And because I didn't, I became the dominant one. "I didn't feel that she had actually reached the point where she wanted to make the decisions," he says, pointing out several times that he did not do it out of ill will. "The divorce has taught me that you have to love and respect each other's opportunities. And if you don't keep that in mind all the time, you can easily come to dominate each other. - After the divorce, Sissel Kyrkjebø stayed in Denmark because of the children. But two years ago, she moved back to Norway, where she lives with her boyfriend and tax lawyer Ernst Ravnaas. And the children Ingrid and Sarah live both in Denmark and in Norway, and it works, he says. "To go back to my elderly mother, she taught me how important it is to behave. And I have taken that on board as well. Today I can say with my head held high that the children have never heard me say a bad word about Sissel, nor do I think they have heard her say anything bad about me. "On the whole, I feel really good about all three of my ex-wives. And my children and grandchildren mean everything in the world to me. They fill me with love and are also the reason why I moved on when Sissel left me," he says. Thursday, October 11, 2012
Eddie Skoller: What I learned from my divorce from Sissel The sensational love affair between the 20-year-old singer and 45-year-old entertainer Eddie Skoller foundered, but not without learning. When Eddie Skoller began his love affair with 20-year-old Norwegian nightingale Sissel Kyrkjebø, it was something that attracted attention. The relationship turned out to be far more viable than most people guessed, but it ended in divorce. A divorce that Eddie Skoller can see the reasons for today. "(...) at some point you get into a modus operandi, and in retrospect, I probably should have said sooner: 'OK, now it's your table. I don't mind being on the board. But you have to take the chairmanship yourself. Now you have to take responsibility for your own life and your own decisions and your own career." And because I didn't, I became the dominant one," he tells BT. "The divorce has taught me that you have to love and respect each other's opportunities. And if you don't keep that in mind all the time, you can easily come to dominate each other. After the divorce, Sissel Kyrkjebø stayed in Denmark because of the children. But two years ago, she moved back to Norway, where she lives with her boyfriend and tax lawyer Ernst Ravnaas. And the children Ingrid and Sarah live both in Denmark and in Norway, and according to Eddie Skoller, it works well. |
**** Sissel's responses are in BLUE. That was four years ago Sissel Kyrkjebø visited Sweden last. But in December she is back with the concert tour Sissel's Christmas - eight magical evenings where the audience will be treated to both classic Christmas songs and life-affirming gospel. We met Norway's only real world artist for a conversation about dramatic Christmas carols, the "Sabbath years" from artist life, Russian security guards and hiring the taxi driver as a Russian voice coach on record recording in New York. It's a beautiful February evening in Lillehammer 1994. At Lysgårdsbakken, the city's newly built backjumper stadium, the opening ceremony for the Olympic Winter Games is in full swing. The stadium is filled to the last place. In front of the big hill, hundreds of statists dressed in colored suits form the Olympic rings. So cuts a candle and clear tune through the spotlight. The audience's sorrow stops while a 24-year-old girl from the Bergen in folk costume and huckle takes the first notes in Spyridon Samara's powerful reach The Saga of the ring-like, Olympic Hymn musical piece. The next few minutes are today music history. A magical moment, shared by 62 million people worldwide. It may have been already 1986 that Sissel Kyrkjebø broke through as an artist, when she performed during the break during the Eurovision Song Contest in Grieghallen on "home ground" in Bergen - but it was, at least in my book, during this evening in Lillehammer that she became the world star she is in day. One of those who felt the magic that night was the Spanish tenor Placido Domingo, who happened to be in Lillehammer during the opening ceremony. Placido contacted Sissel, and already the next day, they played together Fire in your Heart, an English version of the official Olympic theme See the Fire Light. Both versions of the song end up on Sissel's album Innerst in the Soul, which is released shortly after, and Placido also invites Sissel to participate in the big annual Christmas concert in Vienna the same year. Then it rolls on. During the coming years in the 90s, Sissel Kyrkjebø will appear, among other things, on the soundtrack to the box office success Titanic (24 million copies sold), guests (together with the Irish group The Chieftains) The Late Show with David Letterman and record music with G-funk legend Warren G. When we meet Sissel Kyrkjebø in November 2014, she will directly ask Nyhetsmorgon on TV4 to the photo studio in central Stockholm where we met to take cover photos. From there she will then continue to Arlanda and the plane home to Norway. "The Real Thing" The reason for Sissel's visit to Sweden is Sissel Christmas, the concert tour of eight Swedish cities she will do December 12-21. A tour that, by the way, will be Sissel's first on Swedish soil in over four years. -Sissel's Christmas is really my own private Christmas, Sissel says. It's music I listened to myself during Christmas, and songs that have come to mean a lot to me. In addition to the classic Christmas songs, we promised American soul and gospel music. that doesn't sound quite conventional? -I love the traditional, beautiful and solemn songs. But I also really wanted to include the energy, joy and spontaneity of soul and gospel music, "uplifting songs" that they're called in the US. Positivity and love are the very foundation of these Christmas concerts. Tell us a little about who you will bring on stage. -I have Swedish and Norwegian musicians with me ... piano, organ, bass, drums, two guitarists, accordions and mandolin. So it makes a very interesting audio image. There are five in the band, and then I have three "friends" from New York who sing choir. That's a pretty deserving bunch, your mates. -Yes, all three of them are good artists themselves. Vaneese Thomas has sung with Aretha Franklin, Capathia Jenkins is a huge Broadway star and Daryl Tookes has worked with artists such as Sting, Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones. The ambition was to find singers who grew up with soul and gospel, who had that music as a natural part of their culture. I wanted ""the real thing". Is there any Christmas song we will hear on the tour that is particularly warm to your heart? -A song that I always look forward to singing is O Holy Night. The text is incredibly strong. And very dramatic. There is something more there than just "now let's have a cozy time and give each other Christmas presents", and at the same time a great joy. It's a winner that has everything. What does Christmas mean to you? - I love Christmas. There is something magical about the darkness and the cold. The beautiful music. The scents of orange and cloves. Being able to set aside time for tidying and baking. I like the whole Advent season, the thing of going and waiting for something. Christmas is also the foundation of my faith. We will celebrate Christmas in Norway with the family. What do you want for Christmas? - After all, I have two daughters, and I am so old-fashioned that more than anything else, I enjoy getting things like they've done. Now they are a little older, so now you get less of those plots made of toilet paper rolls and such, but that's okay. Your daughters are teenagers now. I remember that it was around the time when you forbade the family to buy CDs and clothes, things you still did not want and usually could not even change. Have you received any such relationship rules yet? -Ha, Ha. No, I haven't received any Christmas gift bans yet. I believe in detailed research. Are your daughters into music? Are they singing and stuff? -They like music, like most other teenagers. Maybe a little more than the average. They are a little environmentally damaged. Backside of the profession Sissel Kyrkjebø grew up in Lønborg outside Bergen, a small society with a population of around 800 people, with his parents and the two older brothers Eirik and Bjørn. Music was a natural part of everyday life in the home. The parents liked to listen to country and classical music, while the brothers preferred rock. At the age of nine, Sissel began singing at the Teachers' College's children's choir, whose repertoire covered everything from classical pieces to jazz, folk music and even songs from Maori culture. -The music has always been in my life, says Sissel. As long as I can remember anyway. But it was when I started singing in a choir that I discovered the magic of music. The joy of singing together with others, the combination of the different voices. That was a real kick. What was the first record you bought? -It was Kate Bush's second album Lionheart, which I bought when I was nine years old. I listened equally to that album, and knew all the songs by heart. That was untypical. Kate Bush is still a pretty dark and alternative artist. At least for most people. -I loved that contrast. That it was a little rocky. There was a darkness in the music, and then her bright classical voice on top of that. That was just . . . wow! Another artist that meant a lot to me is Barbara Streisand. I was 11 years old when I heard her sing Memories from Cats on the radio. What kind of music are you listening to today? -Christina Aguilera. Whitney Houston and Beyoncé Knowles are old time favorites... Amy Whinehouse. Then there are new artists who I think sing very well. Adele for example, and Sam Smith singing Stay with Me. As a 13 year old you were on the program Halvsju on Norwegian TV. How did you handle that attention? -It wasn't quite easy. I was very proud, but for me it was important to be like everyone else, not to stand out. I remember coming to school the day after I was in Halvs. Our music teacher had set up a TV in the auditorium for everyone to see when I sang in the program. I thought it was pretty embarrassing that I just walked away. Have you been working on anything other than music in your life? - I handed out newspapers when I was a kid in Bergen, but otherwise I've just kept on with music. I've never worked front office or sea. I was only 16 years old when I broke through in the Eurovision Song Contest, and after that everything has gone beat by beat. I haven't had time for nothing else. But I'm happy and proud that I managed to finish school, because I traveled so much. Have you ever missed a "normal" upbringing? Student life, for example, and being a part of all the social networks that belong to the youth? -I could absolutely be jealous of all that, especially when I was 21-22 years old. After all, I was out traveling and performing, and never had that ... social happenings and stuff. It is a bit of the backside of the profession, to always be traveling. Living in a suitcase and hanging out at airports. You meet people, though almost always just for a few days or so. Then you say good-bye, and then you may never see each other again. It's quite strange really, and a little sad. "You are doing it totally wrong" No one can blame Sissel Kyrkjebø for lacking the ambition to broaden his musical horizons. Over the years, she has sung with artists such as Placido Doomingo, José Carreras, Josh Groban, country legend Willie Nelson, rap star Warren G and the Norwegian punk/rock band Sort Sol. Aren't you afraid to jump into things that are a little outside your "comfort zone"? -For me, the creative must always be the driving force. There must never be a smart and strategic plan to choose your projects. As long as I feel safe, and I think what I'm doing can be good, then I just have to drive. You have, depending on the context, been called "classical singer", "pop singer" and "crossover soprano". How do you introduce yourself to people who haven't heard your music before? -It's not that easy. But I usually say I sing classic pop. A lot of people raised eyebrows when you recorded the song Elia Rising with the punk/rock band Sort Sol. How did the project end up? - I had a dream for a long time to do something similar to Nick Cave and Kylie Minouge's duet Where the Wild Roses Grow. Something that was a little darker, and that had those exciting contrasts. When I then got the song played for me, it was just "Yes". That was the song I was used to. The singer in Sort Sol, Sten Jørgensen, has an incredibly raw and dark voice, which became a very good contrast to my bright voice. I have always had great respect for Sort Sol. They are honest in their expression. Another musical collaboration that I think many are curious about is the song Prince Igor that you did together with hip-hop star Warren G in the US in 1998. Tell us about your experience. -It was a collaboration that happened very quickly. It was a German project that attempted to unite two musical worlds. They took classic pieces and had hip-hop artists perform them alongside classic artists. I was in New York at another job, and it was the second to last day for me. I met one of the producers who asked if I wanted to sing one of these songs. I thought it sounded great fun, so I thanked yes almost with once. "When is it going to be done? ", I asked. """Now for once," he replied. So the only way to make the song was to record it on the way to the airport. Shortly afterwards I sit in the taxi on the way out to the studio, listen to the song and realize to my despair that it's in Russian. I can't speak Russian! What would I do now? Then we happen to look at the taxi driver's license that his name is Igor. "Are you a Russian? ", I ask. And there he was. "Where are you going to do the next few hours? ". So we end up hiring Igor from time to time as my Russian "coach" in the studio. Amazing. How was he as a coach? -Very strict. He was not at all happy with my pronunciation, and really let me know. "No no no no !! You are doing it totally wrong." When the recording was finished, he drove us to the airport. It was very urgent, but we made it to the flight. How was Warren G as a person? -Warren G wasn't there during the shoot, but I met him later when we were shooting the music video. He was very calm and caring. Did he listen to classical music? -Probably not that much, says Sissel and laughs. I actually asked him and he replied he liked a song like he heard in his office. "It was this big dude ... " Pavarotti? I asked. "Yeah, that was the guy. He was cool." -I remember having a camper on the set where he and his crew were sitting and playing Play station when the camera wasn't rolling. I was invited to that camper, but when he opened the door to it, it was like in one of those comedies, smoke just came out the door. So I stayed outside. A concert that must have been special to you for several reasons is the Christmas concert you did in Moscow 2002 with Placido Domingo and José Carreras, the first Christmas concert on Russian soil in modern times. -Yes, it was very big. It was a huge safety move. We had four-five security guards each, two-meter KGB people who never moved a minute all day. All of that was very new to me. A fun memory from visiting Moscow was what happened when we were about to get up to sing, and I discover that José Carreras and Placido Domingo have big transparent ahead of them. They were placed between them and the audience. Was it another safety measure? And then why didn't I have a screen? I didn't understand anything. "Wow, do we really sing that bad?" ", José said and shook his head. Later I learned that the screens were teleprompters that were there to display the lyrics to the songs. I had not asked for any help with the text. To Sundsvall as a 16 year old In 2010, Sissel moved back to Norway after living in Copenhagen for over 20 years. At the same time, she took the opportunity to take three years leave from music. In the fall of 2013, she married the lawyer Ernst Ravanaas in Norwegian Hov, where the couple also has a farm. Why did you choose to take time off from music after you moved back to Norway? -I wanted time for myself and for my family. To me it's a gift to be home, being there when kids come from school and stuff. Not having to think about so much more than what to have for dinner. I've always been very homesick, and I still get to spice myself up the days before I leave home. After 20 years in Denmark, is Norway still "home"? - Norway is my home. That's how it always has been. It is in Norway that I have my roots and my musical background, my whole foundation. What's your relationship with Sweden? - I have been to Sweden quite a lot, and have many good memories from there. A city I have a special relationship with is Sundsvall, where I have been in Kjell Lönnå's singing program several times. The first time I was just 16 am. I also like northern Sweden very much. Cities like Umeå and Piteå. I love the nature there, both winter and summer time. Then Dalhalla is a very special place. I have sung there in the quarry four-five times and it's like being in a fairy tale every time. A new record will take time Interviewing Sissel Kyrkjebø is a grateful job. she radiates a true passion for her profession, offers herself and is not afraid of philosophical questions. Private life, however, keeps Sissel to herself. A decision she made very early in her career. -I've always been very clear about what's private and not. I decided that when I was very young, even before I became famous and it was a more concrete question. I opened a newspaper with one of those at home reports where people are showing off their homes, and nothing but pink. I will never do that! But I guess you still get a lot of requests, to join Let's Dance and stuff? - Oh yeah, I'll get that. What do you do in your spare time, when you are not playing music? -I like the simple things. Like going for a walk, cooking, reading and just being home. At the same time, it is hard for me to completely disconnect from work. It's always something that you think about, something that needs to be looked into or prepared for... or dreams you have. The things you want to accomplish. What are you dreaming about right now? -My philosophy is that you should not tell about your dreams, because then they lose some of their magic. I'm a little superstitious that way. For me, it's a big part of my driving force, to have those dreams. But it's clear, to do a song with Sting for example would be fantastic. I've met him a few times in different contexts, but we never did anything in music. If I'm allowed to guess, I'd say that you've probably received some offers over the years to write your memoirs. is there something that attracts you? -I have received quite a few such suggestions, it's true. But that's nothing that tempts me. Partly I have no such need. Partly, I think that memoirs are something you write at the end of your career, not in the middle of it. And I don't have any plans of quitting anytime soon. I wouldn't want to spend that much time on that either. What happens for you in the future, after the Christmas tour? -I'm already working on some new projects, but there is nothing concrete that I can tell you about. A new album is also in the planning, but if it hits 2015 or 2016, I do not know today. It has to take the time it takes. |
FINALLY LANDED She received several offers to move to the United States and "make it big". But Sissel (45) said no - because of her children and her wish for a quiet, private life. Now she loves the life in western Oslo. She has sold six million solo albums, been on stage with Sting, Willie Nelson and Celine Dion, sung with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras, and contributed with music on "Titanic", one of the greatest films in modern history. And now Sissel are sitting here in the corner of a small bakery surrounded by pensioners and Frogner-housewives. - It's nice to have that kind of place like this, it 's probably my regular spot at the moment, she says. She is shrouded in an autumnal scarf, smiling and in good mood. There are three years ago she moved back to Norway after 22 years in Denmark. Last summer, she got married again, with Ernst Ravnaas (54), and now they and Sissel's daughters, Ingrid (18) and Sarah (15), live here at Frogner in Oslo. In 2009, after more than 20 years from country to country, always on the move, she decided: I'm taking a break from everything. It was three years where she didn't do anything, just staying at home being a mother. - I took three years off the calendar and did almost nothing. I did some concerts and put some plans for the projects I will be doing now, but I was mostly at home as a mom. - You needed it? - Yes , my girls had never experienced having me home nonstop. I had been living in a suitcase since I was 16 , and after the big tour with Odd Nordstoga I felt: "Now I have to stop. Now it goes way too fast". I needed to land in Oslo and find a family belonging in a new country and new environment. Soon she is ready with a new Christmas tour, this time with concerts in Sweden. - I am enormously looking forward to it. The challenge of Christmas concerts is to deliver the traditional Christmas songs, but also bring something new - without breaking with the atmosphere. Therefore, I have three backing singers from New York that brings the Gospel into the music. PROTECTED Only 16 years old Sissel made the participants in the Eurovision Song Contest wane when she performed during the interval in Grieghallen. Who was this golden voice from Bergen? That same year, the first album, "Sissel", came out, she was given an award and her career took off. But already as an teenager she felt the need of protecting herself from the world. - As an 14-year-old, I saw a magazine which celebrities had shown off their home, and I thought: "What if that was me? It would have been absolutely terrible". Already then I understood that I will never share what is private with others. - You've never had media in your home? - Never. Setting up with husband and children, mom or dad? No, it makes me sick. - How did you experience the media-pressure around your wedding and divorce? - Yes, that's the way it is, I know it's coming. But I have always been clear on my boundaries. - You secretly got married last year? - Yes, it was quite secret. We wanted it as private as possible. It was a great day. DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE IT BIG IN USA Sissel has also declined - twice - to move and make it big in the United States. - If I had accepted, my life would probably have been pretty different. The first offer came when I was 18 and it was too early. I was too young. The second time was right after singing in the "Titanic" movie. At that time I spent a lot of time in the USA and were invited to make several appearances. But I had small children and it was out of the question. - Never regretted? - Absolutely not. I can't imagine that I could have it much better, honestly! I've been doing so much exciting, been so privileged. Now I live in Oslo, it's quiet and peaceful, my children have a normal life. Such things are important to me. - You never thought that you got married too early (24 years old with Eddie Skoller)? - For me it has always been important to follow the heart, no matter what case. Sure I'm very naive, but ... She smiles. - ... but if you follow your heart and the intuition, then you live a life. You can't calculate everything like a mathematical formula with two underscores below the answer. ROOTS When Sissel moved home in 2009 and decided to settle down in Oslo, there were some in her hometown Bergen that breathed a little heavily. Wasn't it there, below the seven mountains that Sissel belonged to? - I have come closer ... But it was most convenient to stay in Oslo. - It's still in Bergen you to grow old? - You know the desire to get back to the roots. I know almost exactly which house I want to live in, up the hill by Skansen with the city view. I met the Mayor of Bergen, Trude Drevland on Lindmo and she said: "Sissel, now that house is for sale". The laughter echoes in the walls of the bakery. - Certainly she was ready for me to move. |
"Sissel has good taste -- Last week, Sissel Kyrkjebø got married for the second time. Now, ex-husband Eddie Skoller is bragging about her new husband in the clouds. Sissel Kyrkjebø (44) said yes to her Norwegian boyfriend, tax lawyer Ernst Ravnaas (53), in Hov church last week. Sissel's Danish ex-husband, Eddie Skoller, 69, is not surprised by the golden throat's choice of a new husband. "He's really a great guy, so there's nothing to say about her taste," the popular comedian and musician told Danish newspaper BT with a smile. A compliment The resemblance between Sissel's ex-husband and new husband is striking. "I take that as a big compliment," he said. Skoller was not at the wedding herself, but their two daughters Ingrid (17) and Sarah (13) were there when mom got her new husband. "It was a very low key and easy wedding, so I knew full well that I wasn't going to be there. Our children were there, and it should have been a great wedding," he says, explaining that he has a good relationship with Sissel and her new husband. "It's really a great man she's found herself. I like him a lot, and that's important because I have a lot of contact with Sissel because we have two beautiful children together. Fiddler of the Year Sissel became really famous when she performed during the break at the Eurovision Song Contest in Bergen in 1986. The same year she released her first album "Sissel", and was named Spellemann of the year. In 1993, Sissel married Eddie Skoller, but in 2003 the shock headlines appeared: Sissel and Eddie went their separate ways. In 2006, Sissel began a short-lived relationship with Kapellmeister Kjetil Bjerkestrand (57). The two worked closely together for several years, but the relationship ended after two years. House and cottage In 2009 she met Ernst Ravnaas. The same year, Sissel bought an apartment of 190 square meters at Frogner in Oslo for NOK 8.75 million. Two years ago they bought a beautiful house in Søndre Land, and Sissel also owns a 90 square meter cabin in Geilo. Sissel wants to keep her private life out of the public eye, but in an interview with Dagbladet in 2010 she said that she had a boyfriend. "It's private. I think it's enough to say that I have a boyfriend and that I feel really good about him," she told the newspaper. |
Norwegian Sissel Kyrkjebø has been singing Christmas concerts since the beginning of her career. For this year's big Christmas concert tour, she has brought in new blood in the USA and England, who will make sure that the Scandinavian Christmas songs are accompanied by solemn soul and gospel songs. If Stig Rossen is Denmark's uncrowned Christmas concert king, Sissel Kyrkjebø must be Norway's uncrowned Christmas concert queen. The 48-year-old singer already performed in televised Christmas concerts in the early 1990s, where she was part of the "Christmas concert" caravan, which toured throughout Scandinavia for 10 years. After several other Christmas tours and a break of three years, she started her own Christmas concert tradition in 2013 with "Sissel's Jul", which after five years and several hundred thousand audience, members gets American and English spices poured into the recipe. "This year I've decided to change the format a bit to get a slightly more intimate atmosphere on stage. That's why I bring three soul singers from London. Wayne Hernandez, who has performed with Tina Turner, Tori Amos and Madonna, Sharleen Linton, who has performed with Adele and John Legend, and Sherena White, who has sung for Kylie Minogue. They are all three choir singers of the highest international class", says Sissel Kyrkjebø. She has also found a musician on the other side of the Atlantic. American keyboardist Tim Carmon is in Eric Clapton's band and has previously played with Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan. - Tim comes from a completely different music culture and has a weight that will definitely have an impact on the show, says Sissel Kyrkjebø. Her primary goal was not to get prominent names on the poster, but to push the songs in a more soulful and gospel-inspired direction. - Soul music has an energy and drive that Nordic Christmas music does not have to the same extent. I think the two different approaches to Christmas music can complement each other. Where one often thinks of Nordic Christmas music as beautiful and solemn, soul music is more dynamic and festive, even though it is often about heart anguish. Hopefully, the audience can both sit at the concerts and hum along and tilt their chairs a little. My wish, like on Christmas Eve, is to give some surprises. Something the recipient likes, but they didn't know they wanted," says Sissel Kyrkjebø. She appreciates that the four foreign musicians help create a new expression. - The three English choir singers have a different type of voice than mine and a different musical background with soul, gospel and rhythm-n-blues. It always creates an interesting tension when cultures and different forms of expression meet each other and mix. The foundation of "Sissel's Jul" is well known, but what we are building on is new and exciting, says Sissel Kyrkjebø. Amazing and awful Christmas --------------------------------------------- "A good Christmas song should put the listener in a special mood. Because Christmas is the most emotional of all our holidays", says the Norwegian. "For many people, Christmas is the unconditional highlight of the year. What they look forward to for the rest of the year. There is a tremendous anticipation and joy, which is very much associated with the music. No holiday has as many songs as Christmas", says Sissel Kyrkjebø. She adds that there are of course also many who do not look forward to Christmas at all. And hate it for the same reason others love it. "If you're sitting alone at Christmas, it can be incredibly difficult to endure. You can also sit at a Christmas table where a chair is empty for the first time. In this way, Christmas can be a painful time, which many people find out as they get older. As amazing and white as Christmas may feel, just as terrible and black it can be. Therefore, especially the soul songs have their justification with their soulful and slightly sad tones and rhythms", says Sissel Kyrkjebø. And emphasizes that gospel music creates balance in the concert so that it does not become too sad. - For me, gospel music is about joy and vitality. You can instinctively feel that when you hear the songs," says Sissel Kyrkjebø. When she tours with Christmas music, audiences react differently in different countries. - When I play a lesser-known Danish Christmas song in Sweden or vice versa, I can sense that it does not get the same reception as the songs they know. But they are met with great curiosity and respect. But Christmas songs are very much about recognizability and traditions, so I'm very aware of that when I choose songs", promises Sissel Kyrkjebø. Many wet Christmases ------------------------------------ For Sissel Kyrjkebø, Christmas is not about religiosity. It's first and foremost about being with family. "I didn't grow up going to church at Christmas. It didn't start until I started singing in choirs that would perform on Christmas Eve in churches. Now it has become a tradition that my family goes to church, even if I don't have to sing, says Sissel Kyrkjebø. Her childhood Christmas Eves took place in a small apartment in Bergen with her parents, brothers and grandparents when they were alive. - Our apartment was so small that there was no room to dance around the Christmas tree. Instead, we sat down and sang. The first day of Christmas we always spent with some family who had a little more space so we could dance around the Christmas tree, says Sissel Kyrkjebø and laughs at the thought. If you think that everyone in Norway celebrates white Christmas every year, think again. "I was born and raised in Bergen, so I can't remember a single white Christmas. But rain, rain and rain. Just like the many years I lived in Denmark. White Christmas is for me something very special magical and dreamy. Now I live in Oslo, where there is often a white Christmas, and all other things being equal, it creates a different atmosphere, which I appreciate even more, precisely because I have tried it so rarely", says Sissel Kyrkjebø. She doubts whether her 20 years in Denmark have affected the way Christmas is celebrated. - I don't really think so. The Norwegian and Danish ways of celebrating Christmas are largely identical. There is a bigger difference between Swedish Christmas, is my clear feeling, says Sissel Kyrkjebø. The musicians from England and the USA also put "our way" of celebrating Christmas into perspective. "On a Christmas tour, it's inevitable not to talk a lot about traditions when you spend so much time together. Scandinavian Christmas is in many ways markedly different than in the US, but it is also interesting to hear about how they celebrate Christmas in England, says Sissel Kyrkjebø. When she comes home from the Christmas tour, the quota for Christmas carols is not used up. - I can easily participate without feeling nauseous when we sing Christmas carols. But it's nice to be able to put Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra or Nat King Cole on the facility and let them do a little of the work over the holidays. On Christmas Eve itself, I love listening to Mahalia Jackson. Her gospel music is perfect for the holidays, and especially at the end of the evening she is absolutely formidable to listen to, says Sissel Kyrkjebø. If the audience at her concerts reacts as she does to Mahalia Jackson's music, she is satisfied. - If they sit with a smile on their face and sense that well-known Christmas songs suddenly take on an extra dimension, the mission has succeeded. That certainly makes it interesting for me to perform with that ambition, says Sissel Kyrkjebø. |
When Sissel Kyrkjebø turns 50 this summer, she can look back on a very successful career. But it could have been even bigger. "I have prioritized the children and chosen to go my own way. I don't regret it", says Norway's national songbird, who celebrates himself with the release of 50 songs and renewed musical confidence. When I was young, I noticed that great opera singers disappeared a bit from their careers after they had turned 50. Does it have anything to do with age? Does the voice stop working? I wondered about it until a singing teacher looked directly at me and said: "You can sing until you fall over. Take care of your voice and sing for as long as you want". Sissel smiles when she remembers how relieved she was when she realized that her singing voice would last a long time. I thought, "wow, then I still have many years ahead of me". Admittedly, the voice must be trained to be maintained. Like everything else in the body, the muscles change over time, including the two vocal cords. But during training, they are kept resilient. The American artist Barbara Streisand was one of Sissel's role models when she was growing up. Her voice sounded fantastic. I was 11 years old and was impressed by her, also in terms of singing. That's how I want to be able to sing, I thought. Sissel says that she has never thought much about age, nor about the fact that Barbara Streisand was much older than her at the time. I only heard her voice, and that she knew something that I also wanted to master. It's fascinating about artists like Barbara Streisand and Plácido Domingo that even though they're well into their years, they're still so curious about their profession. They always have something to learn. I'm like that too, I think developing and learning is exciting, it's a journey that never stops. It was quite a journey Sissel embarked on after she invested wholeheartedly in singing from an early age. She performed Evergreens by Barbara Streisand on television as early as 1983, but her big breakthrough came when she sang during the break during the Eurovision Song Contest in her hometown of Bergen in 1986 and her career took off. The world really opened its eyes to her during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer in 1994 when she performed the Olympic anthem. 1997 was an even bigger year for the Norwegian songbird. The film soundtrack to the mega-success Titanic, which Sissel participated in together with Celine Dion and others, topped all the charts and sold over 30 million copies, and the song Prince Igor in a duet with Warren G also became a big hit worldwide. This year it is admittedly ten years since Sissel last released music, but in the anniversary year of 2019 it happens again. I've thrown myself into a project with 50 songs a year when I turn 50. It's music that means something to me and where I've challenged myself technically and song-wise. -The idea started when I moved back to Norway and was at home with my daughters. I then started collecting songs about the happy, positive love. Then my husband also came up with songs, and there were more and more songs on the list, and ideas for a new website, web portal and music videos in a weekly series. My husband has been and is an important and faithful support player. The 50 year project would not have come about without him. Sissel is happy and a little excited. It has taken many years to complete the project, which has been named Reflections. It really started in 2015, with musician Håkon Iversen. I had worked with him from 2014, he has been a good musical mentor for me. Håkon made me take up space, dare more and be playful. In his studio, I played with music and my voice, it was so incredibly rewarding. A fun and important process. She sees the last few years as a journey where it has been important to find good people to work with on the first stages. And both Norwegian and foreign musicians. Many of the songs that I have worked on in Norway, I have then taken to the US and worked on, together with one musician at a time there. Not a whole band. Christmas carols and concerts are some of Sissel's many successes. The Christmas album Glade jul from 1987 sold over 600,000 copies and was the best-selling album of all time in Norway. The album Strålande jul from 2009, which she released together with Odd Nordstoga, sold eleven times platinum! They are the only Norwegian artists who have achieved it. After an international career and performances with well-known singers such as Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, Neil Sedaka, Josh Groban and Brian May, Sissel has now landed as a producer of her own musical work. Reflections has been completed in the US, Oslo and Gothenburg. The project is mine, even though I have good collaborators, I have followed it from the humble beginning to the end. It's not bad 50 years and finally being your own producer! The time had come, I couldn't have done it until now, she says. The launch took place on May 26, when a selection of songs were published digitally. The plan is to release a new song every Sunday day from now on, as a serial. I have a brand new website: Sisselmusic.com. Every Sunday a new music video is released. In addition, I have made a video for each song where I tell about the background and some fun facts. Some songs also have a bigger story attached to them. The songs are streamed, and on the website, all the videos are collected via my own YouTube channel, she explains. With a masterful international career over many years, a Grammy nomination and sales of over 10 million solo records, Sissel has fans all over the world. They can now all watch and follow her on the online platforms. I don't have the opportunity to travel all over the world, but on my new website, everyone can get to know my musical universe. Some songs are interpretations of evergreens, others are brand new. All the songs mean something to me, and the hope is that many people will look forward to hearing the new song every Sunday. -The style is easy listening, it fits on a Sunday. Then you can sit down and listen. The texts have meaning and themes such as loving-kindness, calmness and fundamental values. Hopefully, many can take that peace with them for the rest of the week, says Sissel, and elaborates: Maybe many people who hear the songs will do what I do: Listen to the lyrics and see if they relate to something that means something to you, in your own life or in the lives of others. When I started collecting songs about love, I discovered that not all the lyrics were equally happy, but that the content of the lyrics grabbed me. Why? Well, because when I heard the music, stories came to me and impressions related to reality the songs came alive for me. I had many such moments. The magic of music is that it makes you open up or put things into words. Music changes everything, as a music friend of mine so wisely pointed out. Sissel was born with a very special voice. Who moves and touches both young and old, who delights and opens up. She has a talent, feel free to call it a gift. Yes, the voice is a gift, and it obliges. It must be managed and maintained. I'm approaching 50, I'm more aware and know that I have to take care of myself. The voice needs to be practiced regularly, that's the best thing for it. After singing practice, there are preparations for performances. With both physical and mental training. She has her own method there. I get a little tired before I go on stage, so I lie down and rest. Then I visualize everything, from the moment I got on stage and went through all the songs. I imagine the entire concert in advance until I leave the stage. That's how I've always done it, no one has told me. Then suddenly one day I learned that this is a well-known technique, especially in sports, she says. Sissel has traveled a lot, performed on big stages and sung with big celebrities. Is there anything she can teach from her life experience? What I've been thinking about all these years is to dare to believe in your dream. We have to dare to do it. Even though we have visions, we also need supporters around us who cheer us on. Everyone needs it. I work best in teams, it's so important to have the right people around me. Because sometimes I doubt my dream, I can be my own skeptic. Then it's good to have someone to talk to. Even when I have too many ideas and have to land. I have had many good helpers. Thanks to family and friends, I am where I am today. Sissel Kyrkjebø has a challenging profession with a lot of creative chaos, as she calls it. The chaos is life-giving because it breaks down the barriers. I can force myself into an unknown terrain. I know that I just have to do it once in a while, and I want to. The new things I've created in recent years, with the songs and music videos, are taken from the unknown. Admittedly, the learning process is not over, new ideas are constantly emerging, that's what's so fun about projects, says Sissel. She would like to inspire others to be patient. It can take time to complete a dream. That's okay. Life has its phases. I couldn't have been a music producer before, but now I have. And I'm having so much fun. It's also a bit scary. What will others think about what I've been doing for so long? The driving force is admittedly my own and I create the music first and foremost for myself. I'm proud of it, she states. For over 20 years, we lost our international star to the Danes. Sissel moved to the neighboring country in the south in the early 90s when she married the Danish artist Eddie Skoller, with whom she has daughters Sarah (20) and Ingrid (23). The couple divorced in 2004, and a few years later, Sissel chose to move back home to Norway with the children. It is a choice she has not regretted. Nor that she held back when the biggest career offers appeared. During her career, Sissel has made many conscious choices and managed her life as she wanted it both privately and professionally. With the success comes many opportunities, such as betting on the American market. I have been asked several times to launch in the US. The first time when I was 18 years old, I said no, because I wanted to be in Norway. Later, I had children, and I chose for my daughters to grow up in Scandinavia. If we had moved to the United States, I would still have had to travel a lot there, the United States is a big country. My priority was for my girls to have as normal a life as possible, says the singing star. When asked if she has regretted the choice, she answers without hesitation: No! I am very happy that the girls got a close relationship with Norway and Denmark, with the culture and the basic values here. Now they can look outwards and do what they want. They have the security in them, feel both Danish and Norwegian. I think it's fantastic to see young people today, they are children of the world, don't think boundaries, are aware, curious and seek out experiences. There is a lot to learn and be inspired by in your youth, says the mother of two. The conscious thoughts about what she wants to pass on to her children come quickly: Joy, tolerance, having faith in your dream, trusting your gut feeling and being true to yourself. And not least the joy of nature and music. Like most mothers, she dreams of her children having a good life. That they should do what they are passionate about, believe in it, and that they should be whole in soul and thought. They should simply be happy and learn life, she says. But what has life really taught Sissel herself? That's a big question! So far, life has taught me that it never ceases to surprise and challenge. And that the road is made as you go no matter how much you think you know and try to plan. Of course, it's important to plan, but the most important thing I've learned is: embrace the moment. The maturity has led to more calm, she admits, but at the same time that there is still an infinite amount to learn. I appreciate the weekdays, no day is the same, but my husband is the same. Sissel laughs her crystal clear laugh with a twinkle in her eye. When asked if there is anything she has chosen not to do in order to be able to live her life as she wants, Sissel explains that she reflects in a different way. I don't look too much at what I've opted out of. It is much more interesting what I have actually chosen, namely the life I have now. If I were to look at what might have been normal in my job situation, it would have been to have a management and be in a large international record label, but I have chosen to go my own way. She is all of Norway's Sissel, many feel they know her. What can she tell us about herself that perhaps not everyone knows? Silence is very important to me. It's one of the best things I know. When I'm at home, I rarely have music on, I have to have it quiet around me. Especially in the morning, when the day can begin. If I'm stressed, I can sit down with a cup of tea, even if it's just for a few minutes. Then I sometimes think of a friend of mine who daily asks herself: "What can I contribute today?" It's such a beautiful thought. I also think about it, who can I make happy today. It's a great way to get out of yourself. Norway has done Sissel good. She enjoys living in her home country. It's nice to be Norwegian in Denmark, but even more nice to be in Norway. Living in Norway is important to me. I'm really enjoying it. It's so good to know that this country is my home. Here I have my foundation. It's wonderful to travel, but I like to come back to base. Norway, with nature close by, suits me very well, Sissel Kyrkjebø rounds off. |
June 25, 2019, by Norway About the death of the father: -- "It was a shock" Popular singer Sissel Kyrkjebø (49) is known for protecting her privacy. The 49-year-old singer has been one of Norway's greatest artists since she finished in 1986, and she is one of the few Norwegian artists to be nominated for a Grammy award. This year, Kyrkjebø turns 50 and on that occasion organized a great interview with the Dagbladet. There she tells, among other things, openly about the loss and lack of her father, Erling Kyrkjebø, who died three years ago 84 years of age. The father was a very important part of the life of Sissel and her two daughters, Ingrid (23) and Sarah (20). He was affected by Alzheimer's disease at the same time Sissel and her daughters moved from Denmark to Norway in 2011, and the decision to return to Norway proved to be the right choice for Sissel and her daughters. The parents of Sissel, Erling and Laila (86) lived at that time in Bergen, but they moved to Frogner in Oslo and became their daughter's neighbors. Modest shocks When Alzheimer's came sneaking in, it was demanding for the family, and her father slowly lost his ability to express himself. "It's a disease where patients lose their words, but we talk together and we're okay until he dies." Alzheimer's disease is related, it's demanding also for the mother, says Sissel. However, it was not Alzheimer's that her father died. He was severely affected by cancer throughout the body and was informed that he only had a few days to live. He understood and took the death knell with fate. He understood that he had little time to spare. This made it much easier for us. Still, it was a shock, Sissel told the paper. A week and a half after Sissel's father was diagnosed with cancer, he fell asleep with the family around him. He was stuck in his eyes, despite having received lots of medication. Then he closed his eyes, two hours later he died, reminding the 49-year-old woman about her father's death. Protecting Your Privacy The popular artist has, during her impressive career, conquered many hearts both here and outside the borders of Norway. As mentioned earlier, she rarely shares her privacy, but last year she organized a rare interview with "Good Morning Norway," where she told the why. The 49-year-old singer frankly said that it was important to distinguish between official and private Sissel. From the beginning of her career, she made a constant choice to take care of privacy, which she soon realized was important. "Private life is my sanctuary. A place where I can recover, energize and relax. The official part of me is at work, and it's important that my privacy is a place where I can relax", she says, adding that all people have the need to be able to close the door of their home and disconnect without the others have access to it, she counted that time. Early in her career, the "Watching the Fire Light" singer was certain she wanted to separate career and privacy. She told her "Good Morning Norway" that her choice was respected. "I think people basically understand this very well, so I had no problem with that," she continued. Hard decision Sissel Kyrkjebø said earlier that it is important for her to focus on her family and her two daughters. So it was not an easy choice to go back to Norway with the daughters. Sissel lived in Denmark for 21 years, and during that time she went through a breakup when she and her husband, Eddie Skoller, divorced in 2004. In an interview with VG in May, the artist explained that she herself felt ready to go home, but that it was a difficult choice to transfer her two children from her native Denmark to Norway. It all started when I finished the album "To You". So I moved from Denmark to Norway with children. When you move with children, it is not easy for them. Although they have been very much in Oslo and can speak the language, it will be a bit different, said Sissel. Although she spent a lot of time in Oslo during her childhood, there is still something to move there. The children, therefore, did not think the movement was simple, Sissel said. "It's never fun to finish, there are some emotional things for both adults and children, but we've actually found a good solution for that," she continued. In order to make the movement as easy as possible for the children, the 49-year-old made the decision not to travel. She wanted to take root with the children and give them the feeling that she was really there for them, she explained in the interview. Today, everyone is very happy with how things happened and the artist explained that the result was as good as they expected in fact, even better. "The two girls said they are incredibly happy to live in Norway, it's also their second home and where the mother comes from. They feel at home here and feel at home in Denmark, and I think this is important, she said. Sissel remarried in 2013 with tax specialist Ernst Ravnaas in a secret ceremony at Hov church, a cross church of 1781 in the municipality of Søndre Land, with no guest present. |
06 Nov. 2019 at 10:46
Sissel Kyrkjebø: Was afraid to walk through the stage door But the Norwegian/Danish singing star with the velvety voice overcame her nervousness to stand alone in front of an audience and has long since sung her way into many hearts. She will shortly be embarking on her extensive Christmas tour. Aarhus: Basically, there is something ambivalent about enjoying being on the big music stage and at the same time being sad about having to pack your suitcase to leave home. But that's how Sissel Kyrkjebø feels. She loves to stand and sing, but she also loves her home. The daily rhythm. The daily pursuits. Calm. The simple. All that we do not associate with a star of her caliber. -No. I'm probably not that good at traveling. To pack your suitcase. But once I'm in it, it's wonderful," says Sissel Kyrkjebø, who must be ready with her suitcases on 17 November, when she begins her extensive Christmas tour in the Theater Hall in Lillestrøm. Then the tour will crisscross Scandinavia, where she will give 33 concerts in the time until 21 December, when she rounds off at the Concert Hall in Aarhus. After that, for family woman Sissel, it's about coming home to Oslo and creeping back into everyday life. And celebrate Christmas with the family and take it easy. - I love Christmas. But don't have performance anxiety. It should be completely slow down. Walks around in pajamas until well into the day. Baker cakes. Enjoying ourselves. Christmas is associated with music and family, she says about the holiday that she has celebrated with a tour for many years. And she will continue to do so as long as she thinks her voice and physique will hold up to it. The tour is preceded by a major effort to put together a concert. - I start from scratch every time. There must be meaning and coherence in it. It shouldn't be the same concert, I just do it year after year, she emphasizes and adds: - I always plan based on the idea that my Christmas concert is like Christmas Eve. Some packages one hopes to get. Others you have not wanted, but will be happy with anyway. There are songs that the audience expects. And then there are songs that they didn't expect, but which should be a good surprise. Perfectionist -------------------- Sissel herself almost goes into Zen after a concert. There is no rock-n-roll in it when she leaves the stage. Am not the type to party through to the early hours of the morning. And she never goes unprepared on stage. She prepares mentally as well as physically every time. For the body must be rested. - After a concert, I retire to my room. Then I'm already preparing for the next concert. Lays me down and reviews from point to point the concert. That's how I do it every single time. And I'm not letting it down, even though it's concert number 30. It has to be as perfect as the previous ones," she says, acknowledging that this way she is not social when she goes on tour. But she is anyway. Because it is very important to her that everyone on the tour team has a good time. That you can laugh together. - They have been carefully selected by me, she says of the six musicians and the six in the crew behind the artists. - It is so important that we can work with each other, so we do not have to spend effort on disagreeing and in this way drain each other of energy before we go on stage. She has handpicked the musicians from the Norwegian and Swedish music scenes, while the pianist has been brought in from the United States. You can clearly feel her respect for professionalism. Nothing should be left to chance. You always have to do your best. In doing so, she lifts her grandfather into the conversation. - He worked as a dock worker in Bergen. Unloaded and loaded ships. He was solid and strong. And then he was proud of his profession. Of the work he did. The pride of your profession is so important, whether you are a painter or a musician. If you do it because others tell you to, you die. But if, on the other hand, it is an inner driving force, then it holds because it becomes authentic. Sissel Kyrkjebø - Born June 24, 1969 in Bergen. Has sung in choir since she was four years old. She sang in children's choirs from the age of nine. Her first solo performance was in a shopping center in Bergen when she was 11 years old, where she won her first local talent competition In 1983, she appeared for the first time on television. In 1986, Sissel Kyrkjebø performed during the break during the Eurovision Song Contest, which took place in Grieghallen in Bergen. In the same year, Sissel's first album, "Sissel", was released. She has made an impressive career, singing with big stars such as Placido Domingo and rapper Warren G. She has sung a repertoire that stretches few Schubert over Andrew Lloyd Webber to the great pop ballads of Abba and Deep Purple. She has received more than 20 Norwegian and international music awards. On August 21, 1993, she married Danish-American Eddie Skoller, who was 25 years older than her. They divorced in 2004. The couple had two daughters, Ingrid and Sara. Sissel Kyrkjebø moved back to Norway in 2010. Today Sissel Kyrkjebø lives in Oslo with her husband, the Norwegian lawyer Ernst Ravnaas. Child star -------------------- It is certainly also an inner force that drove the little girl from Bergen into the music scene, where she quickly developed into a world star. Her parents didn't pace their little girl. They thought it was nice that she sang in a choir. It started when she was four years old and Mom promised the choir director that she would teach her little girl the lyrics. Throughout her childhood, Sissel has sung in choirs. From the age of 9-16 she sang in Bergen Teacher's College's Children's Choir, where she really learned to sing and learned the basic singing technique. Here she was trained to listen to the other voices in the choir. And that discipline has been of great help in his career. But it was the child himself who took the initiative to enter the music scene solo. Because she was carrying a dream. - It was during the summer holidays. My best girlfriends were on vacation. Mom and dad at work. I was bored. That's why I signed up for a kind of talent competition in a shopping center in Bergen. It was kind of down to earth. And my parents didn't know. It wasn't until she asked her mother if she wanted to drive her to the center that her parents knew what their 11-year-old daughter was up to. "Mom called my dad at work and put him into the case. And he said, "Well, can Sissel sing?" That way? And yes. Posterity has shown that his daughter could. It was a landmark event for Sissel as she stood singing in the shopping center. She remembers what summer dress she wore. And that the hair was braided in two braids. When she was 13, she joined a youth program on Norwegian television, where she chose to sing the Barbara Streisand hit "Evergreen". She did not know English, but sang by ear. Being like the others ----------------------------------- The following year, she was spotted on a sing-along program on television. They were missing a soprano. It was the big chance for the girl from Vestlandet. "That was when there was only one channel. So you risked being exposed quite a lot. That's why the TV crew turned to my parents to make sure I could mentally deal with it as well. Whatever they thought I could." She was in the program for two years. Then came the big breakthrough. - I got the job singing during the break in connection with the Eurovision Song Contest, which was held in Grieghallen in Bergen. Then it went fast. In the same year, the 16-year-old songlark from Bergen released his first album. Her career took off. Nevertheless, alongside her singing career, she chose to take her high school diploma. High school meant a lot to her. Here she could be with peers with the same sorrows and joys, unlike the music scene, where she was always surrounded by people much older than she was. "High school was a sanctuary for me. I was in an environment where I was one among many. Here I could retreat and be like all my comrades. School was an important base for me that I could always come home to." Norwegian and Danish ----------------------------------- Things started to move fast. The girl from Vestlandet not only sang her way through the Norwegian mountains, but also began to take the Danes by storm. She was only 20 years old when she fell in love with entertainer Eddie Skoller. The two married in 1993 and divorced about 10 years later. The couple has two girls, Ingrid and Sarah. And for the first years after the divorce, Sissel stayed in Denmark, but today lives in Oslo with her husband. There was too much commuting back and forth. - I have lived permanently in Denmark for 20 years. This is where my girls grew up. So I also consider Denmark my home, which I enjoy coming home to, she smiles. She loves Vendsyssel. Tversted, where she and Skoller had a summer house. - There are lovely high ceilings and great nature, she says about the North Jutland landscape. Although she has lived in Denmark for a long time, she does not speak Danish, but sounds Norwegian. - Danish is a difficult language. I tried at first. But was laughed at. That's why I've stuck with my Norwegian. In turn, her daughters are bilingual. Mom spoke Norwegian to them, and Dad spoke Danish. They replied in Danish. - They have maintained that tradition. Even though they are in a company entirely of Norwegians, they answer me in Danish. Because they've been used to that. She is in no hurry to figure out what they should be. - They find out for themselves. It's just fascinating as parents to stand on the sidelines and watch how they find their way. They know that I will support them in what they are passionate about. Just like my parents did for me," says Sissel Kyrkjebø, who has long since dismantled the stage fright she felt when she had her first solo performances. "I was terrified. Thought I was going to fall through the stage floor," says the world star, who has managed to run a great singing career in parallel with the need to be a very private person. |
SISSEL KYRKJEBØ an interview from a snowy Oslo before the Christmas tour premiere November 13, 2019 -- Belinda Graham -- TK Artist interviews NOTE: Sissel's dialog is in Maroon -- the interviewer's is in Black She has the enchanting voice of a mermaid, the charisma of a world star and the musicality of an Angel . She is the obvious queen of Christmas carols and on November 21, it's time to kick-start this year's big Christmas tour in Sweden. She is Silent Night with a capital "S", Sissel with a capital "S" and Superstar with a capital "S". What musical aces does Sissel Kyrkjebø have up her sleeve this year? We had a little chat with Sissel, before the long-awaited premiere at Göta Lejon in Stockholm. The one who waits for something good, waits for Sissel! And maybe on a gingerbread cookie to the Christmas music... It's early in the morning, it's freezing cold and the snow is swirling in Oslo. But Sissel has enough warmth in her voice to thaw a glacier, she is alert and fun to talk to and comes up with shopping and cake tips and music tips for Christmas, while she is gearing up to start rehearsing for the Christmas tour, which will include four countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Germany. Her eminent star keyboardist Tim Carmon has just flown in from a Los Angeles where it's at least 30 degrees and sunny. He has previously worked with Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Queen Latifah, Bob Dylan, Justin Bieber, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton and Earth, Wind & Fire and he has been Music Director in the White House, but when it comes to Christmas, it is of course Sissel who is the biggest star ... It's great that you're going to brighten up the time leading up to Christmas with yet another tour! It's actually hard to imagine a Christmas without Sissel, it's kind of like a Christmas without Christmas candy or a Christmas without a Christmas tree! "Oh dear! Your successful album Silent Night, or Glade Jul, has now been around for 32 years! "Is it really that long? Yes, there are many of us who are influenced by your music! How does it feel to be such a July con? So many people have grown up with your Christmas music! "I don't think of myself as a Christmas con, but I like to tour before Christmas, this time when everyone is gearing up for Christmas, and it's so much fun to go out and meet people during this time, and see how happy they are when you come and sing for them. I usually always include the great classics and the songs that people expect, like Silent Night and O Holy Night, but then I also like to offer some surprises and people come up to me afterwards and say that "that, that was nice too..." And they've heard something new that they like, and it feels just as wonderful every time! Silent Night or Glade Jul is one of my must-have albums for Christmas. Do you have any must-have records when it's Christmas? Any records that have been with me since you were little? "I have a special Christmas gospel record that comes out every year and it's one with Mahalia Jackson. She has such a lovely voice! And she sings so many traditional American Christmas classics. "You've got an American keyboardist with you on tour... Tim Carmon, who is very famous in musical circles. He's worked with virtually all the great artists, from Stevie Wonder to Sissel! "It's now the third year that Tim is touring with me and celebrating Christmas, he came from Los Angeles this morning! It was over 30 degrees Celsius there, and here in Oslo it's minus degrees and the first real snowfall of the year! It's white everywhere and it's swirling with thick snow in the air. What a change! He thought it was nice with such Christmas spirit and snow, but he also thought it was a little too cold. It feels really cold when you experience a temperature difference of more than 30 degrees! By the way, do you put on your own Christmas records and play them, when there's a Christmas party at your house? "When it's Christmas party, I mainly do English and American records, with suitably swinging and slightly jazzy Christmas party music. With singers like Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé... and of course Barbra Streisand! THEN there will be a party atmosphere! Then, the closer I get to Christmas, the more I want traditional, atmospheric Christmas music, from Sweden and Norway and England, beautiful choral music with fine choirs... On Christmas Eve and Christmas Eve I only do that. Then it should be as atmospheric as possible! Choirs and choral singing are very important to me personally, I started my career by singing in a choir as a child. There are many records with choral music that comes out every Christmas! I have a Swedish album with choral music that I like very much, and I listen to Swedish artists like Tommy Körberg and Carola, who have sung traditional Swedish Christmas songs. When it comes to records from Norway, the Cathedral Choir that sings in the Cathedral in Oslo is so nice! Their records I listen to. Then I also have a lot of English choir plates, I discovered them when I was on a trip in England. "The boys' choirs are really nice, practically every church has its own, I have so many records just from Cambridge. "Isn't it fantastic? I was on holiday in England, not on tour, and we drove around to a lot of different churches and listened to the choirs and bought their CDs... And I usually bring them out! It's such a fine choral tradition you have, and it's absolutely fantastic that there are so many fantastic choirs! It was so much fun to discover them! "You've traveled all over the world, and lived in both Norway and Denmark for a long time — are there any special Christmas traditions that you've picked up, embraced, mixed with each other... It could be Christmas food, Christmas music, Christmas decorations, whatever! "Something that I would like to be a part of, and that I have never experienced, is a genuine Swedish Christmas party. We don't have Christmas in Norway! Getting up early and it's crispy cold and snowing and then going to church and listening to nice music and having lit candles... It sounds so atmospheric. Especially in the countryside, as Py Bäckman describes it in Koppången ... I imagine it's nice anyway, but I've never experienced it. "It's very nice, especially in the countryside. I have friends who have horses and ponies and for Christmas and Lucia they dress up extra nicely with bells and glitter and then they pull sleighs, full of blankets and sheepskins. Going to Christmas like that is really nice, and it's actually fun just to look at the little horses when they stand outside the church ... In the past, it was the norm, to go to church with a horse and sleigh and jingling bells, now it's mostly a fun thing. "That sounds so cozy! That's what I want to be a part of! "But one thing that has influenced the Christmas tradition is that Midnight Mass has become so big. In Catholic countries, they have had midnight mass for a long time, to celebrate Christmas Day, and there are those who watch SVT's broadcast of the midnight mass from Rome, but even though Sweden is not Catholic, they have started to run midnight masses live around the churches ... So first you're going to celebrate Christmas Eve all day, then you're going out until midnight to listen to friends singing in different choirs and then, after all this, you're going to get up early and go to the Christmas party... The different traditions don't really go together! "No, it actually sounds a bit difficult! What's the most fun thing about going on a grand Christmas tour? Concerts! To meet the audience! To see how happy they are and how much the music means to them. Then the trip itself is also nice, to travel with musicians that you know and to visit many different places... Do you have time to look a lot at the Christmas displays in different cities? Among other things, you will perform in Stockholm, which has such nice Christmas lights, and Gothenburg, which markets itself as Christmas City Gothenburg, and there are new decorations and lighting every year... "Last year I sang at Lisebergshallen, and Liseberg was so beautiful! This year I'm going to sing at the Concert Hall in Gothenburg and I'm looking forward to that, I've only sung there once before... I've been there many times and listened to concerts, but I haven't performed there more than once. A Christmas tradition (which is not so fun) is that you usually get colds. Yes, it will be the whole family! Holidays = relax = catch a cold! But you can't afford to catch a cold at all then there won't be a singing tour. How do you stay fit and healthy during a slushy winter and maybe a rainy and cold Christmas? "On Christmas Eve I might as well catch a cold!" Or December 23rd. It doesn't matter! Then the Christmas tour is over! But before that... You're right, it's a disaster to catch a cold or the flu. So I get vaccinated against the flu every year. Otherwise... I sleep a lot. That's the most important thing to not get sick, it's to sleep properly. Then you should also eat healthy. Antibacterial and to sleep a lot, those are my tips ... And I'm a bit Asian too, in the way I greet, I don't get too close to people and I try not to expose myself to an unnecessary amount of germs. "What can you absolutely not be without when it's Christmas?" Except for the music? Gingerbread! I love gingerbread! in Norway they only sell gingerbread cookies for Christmas, not all year round, and I've already eaten THREE jars! "In Sweden, gingerbread cookies are sold all year round, as a standard cake with coffee, much like rusks or biscuits ... "I know! And I can only get them for Christmas in Norway! It's not fair! But I have to say that the best gingerbread I've ever eaten I've eaten in Sweden, in Gothenburg! They were absolutely heavenly! I found them in a bakery that only bakes gingerbread cookies and it was summer and they baked gingerbread! It was a very popular place, you would book gingerbread cookies in June or July if you were going to have gingerbread cookies for Christmas! It was absolutely wonderful gingerbread, really crunchy and with extra fine ginger and spice flavor, a little extra zing in it ... I don't remember what the bakery was called, but when you drive towards where the old SVT was, i.e. where SVT used to be, you come to the roundabout there, and then you turn right, and there is the gingerbread bakery. I was going to SVT and I smelled gingerbread cookies and we just followed it! Then I just said, "Stop the car, there's gingerbread here!" In the middle of summer! "It seems to be a perfect gingerbread place! "I like different patisseries. When we are on tour, we usually look for different nice pastry shops in all the cities and all the places we visit, and there we buy lots of different nice cakes and pastries and then we sit and have tasting in the tour bus...! "That sounds so cozy! Yes, it is! It's our Christmas coziness and our Christmas preparation! During this tour we travel around Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Germany. I don't know how we're going to get away from Germany, they have such good cakes there! We're going to stuff the bus full! When it comes to Christmas presents do-it-yourself, shop on the Internet, go to Christmas markets everywhere (where you're on tour), or run-out-at-the-last-minute? Which feels most like you? I usually shop both before and during the tour! It's like my Advent craft! I meet a lot of family and friends during the tour itself, in the cities we come to, so during the tour I sit and fix my lists and think about gifts and in the different cities that we come to I go and buy Christmas presents that I will give away. It's so much fun! You also become known in the different cities you are in and make new friends there. The whole tour will be like one long Christmas-and-Advent celebration! "You've found and resurrected a lot of old Christmas carols... Which of them is your favorite or favorites?! Or maybe it's hard to choose, you should like all your songs equally much...? "It's hard to choose. But also because what is known in one country may not be so well known in other countries. It has often happened that people in Sweden have come up to me and thanked me for "unknown Christmas songs" and how amazing that I discovered them, or rediscovered them, and in Norway it is nothing strange. These are ordinary Christmas carols. Sometimes a common Christmas tradition or song survives in one place, and is forgotten in another. I remember a Christmas tour when I was going to do a version of Klinga mina klockor, not the usual Christmas song that you have in Sweden, but the one that atmospheric one that exists in Norway, and then I found a Swedish text to that music in a Swedish hymn book! And I was so pleased. I had a Swedish crew with me on that tour at the time and they all said that they had never heard it and that it wasn't a Swedish song, and I had to prove it and show them the hymn book: "But look here, it's a Swedish song, it's in the Swedish hymn book!". I also connect you with spring songs! You've recorded so many great spring songs. Will there be a spring tour in the future...?! Celebrate spring with Sissel? I would love it! A spring tour?! It's a fighter-good idea! I've never had that! "Leafy portals at the churches, carpets of wood anemones and daffodils... It could be as atmospheric as it gets! "That sounds so nice! Spring with Sissel ... Yes, it would be fun to do such a tour! "You've done so much in your career! Have you thought about making an album where you write the lyrics and music all by yourself? "I'd love to do that, but it's a big project to make an entire album with your own lyrics and music, and above all you have to find partners to do it with. But there's something special about singing lyrics and music that you've done yourself, I've done that before, you have a different relationship to the song then... But it's also interesting to take songs that already exist and interpret them, to make them your own songs, it's a completely different journey... What projects do you have in the pipeline for the future? After the Christmas tour? "I'm working on the project of releasing 50 songs in 50 weeks! Songs, music videos and small videos that belong to each song where I explain why I chose that particular song and what it means to me... It's a huge project! I was going to make an album with 10-12 songs... But then it became such a long list of songs that have meant a lot to me, and then we started from the top and worked our way down... And I have to admit that the list contained a lot more than 50 songs, but to celebrate 50 years with 50 songs, it sounded good somehow! You go to my website sisselmusic.com and there are the songs that have already been released, music videos and my little videos where I talk about the songs. Of course, the music is also available on Spotify and other places where you can listen to music. "That's nice! It's like a birthday gift for all your fans! Or a giant advent calendar that lasts a long time... "This advent calendar already has a lot of doors that are open... And it will last until May 2020! Because we started releasing the songs in May 2019. But it's that project that I'll be returning to when the Christmas tour is over. It's going to be so much fun! "I'm looking forward to it! I'll keep an eye on sisselmusic.com so I don't miss any of your songs! Good luck with your 50 project and your Christmas tour! It's fun that there are so many concerts in Sweden! "I think so too! It's always special to come to Sweden and to sing for a Swedish audience and to sing in Christmas! It's absolutely wonderful!
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It's December and Christmas is approaching. This means that many of us do everything we can to find the right mood. Going to a Christmas concert is one of the things we Norwegians do a lot of in December - and we have a lot of artists who year after year show up to sing Christmas in. Sissel Kyrkjebø is one of them – and perhaps the most popular "Christmas artist".
This year she has had concerts in both Sweden, Denmark and Norway, this weekend she will play in Oslo Concert Hall. For many, it is a great tradition to listen to Sissel Kyrkjebø's Christmas carols.
Is private Although Sissel Kyrkjebø is one of our most beloved and popular artists, she is not the type who makes the biggest headlines. She mostly keeps her private life to herself.
Sissel Kyrkjebø married the Danish entertainer Eddie Skoller in 1993, and together the couple had two children. Ingrid and Sarah are now 23 and 20 years old.
"A long time ago"
The breakup with Danish Eddie Skoller led to a lot of attention and "everyone" wanted to know what had happened. That is now 15 years ago, and she has still not commented on the breakup. At the time it happened, she stated that she was not ready to talk about it. Nor has she ever been – no one has made her speak out in recent times either – now that one would think that it is no longer painful.
15 years later, Sissel Kyrkjebø reveals the truth about why she doesn't want to talk about it:
"It's been so long since I got divorced. I don't feel any need to talk about it," she says in an interview with KK in connection with the Christmas concerts she is now up to. At the same time, she reveals that she does not want to share things from her private life, it is the job she is interested in. The artist job.
"I've never been able to jump on the social media wave by having to share my private life. I don't feel comfortable with it, and only use it to deepen what is my profession. Social media can quickly become an illusion world where you are not true to yourself. No matter what you do, you must always be true to yourself," she says to the magazine. I understand very well that there are some things she wants to keep to herself! In any case, we are grateful for the beautiful voice she has – and for all the music she gives us.
Sissel Kyrkjebø is a fantastic Norwegian artist that we should be incredibly proud of! |
For many, she is more associated with Christmas than Jesus himself. Sissel Kyrkjebø herself best remembers the Christmas she and her daughters celebrated alone. Interviewer is in black ****** Sissel's answers are in maroon - For me it is a form of meditation to sit and look out over the fjord or the mountains. It's about lowering your heart rate and clearing your mind. I'm addicted to that. Married to Ernst Ravnaas. Has daughters Ingrid (23) and Sarah (20) together with ex-husband Eddie Skoller. Current Sissel started in May on the project "Reflections", where she releases a new song every week for a year. In addition, she plays Christmas concerts in Sweden, Denmark and Norway right up until Christmas. Interviewing Sissel Kyrkjebø is like being granted access to a vault where a rare rose-painted coffin stands on the top shelf, under a thin layer of star dust. A coffin that few have been allowed to study up close, and far less allowed to lift the lid off. Sissel Kyrkjebø has managed the feat of keeping the press in breath since she broke through as a 16-year-old - without easing as much as a pinch of privacy. Well then, the adventurous career, which is almost unparalleled since Sonja Henie, is abundantly talked about. But Sissel has not exactly unfolded, whether it is about the wedding with Eddie Skoller, the daughters Ingrid and Sarah, the brother Bjørn who died suddenly, the divorce from Skoller, or her father who got Alzheimer's and passed away in 2016. Most things with Sissel are private. Inevitable. The gaze darkens a bit on questions that do not concern the profession. She shows up for an interview wearing jeans and a cardigan. - So nice, says Sissel and greets with the unmistakable Sissel smile. She is tall and beautiful, and so popular that to say something unfavorable about Sissel Kyrkjebø would be the same as lighting a stave church or peeing on a glacier. Her image is as unspoiled as the Hardangervidda, if we disregard a pair of tight leather trousers in a duet with Espen Lind in the 2000s and the divorce from Eddie Skoller. She has still not commented on the breach. Not the leather pants either, for that matter. But when asked 15 years ago, Sissel replied that she was not ready to talk about the breakup. Maybe the time is right now? - It's been so long since I divorced. I do not feel the need to talk about it, she replies. She describes herself as easily moved, without any lower limit for what triggers the tears. And she likes to be moved by Disney movies as well. - I inherited it from my mother. She and I can sit and cry together, says Sissel. - Social media can quickly become an illusion world where you are not true to yourself What was too early has become too late. The window has closed. And so it is with Sissel. What is not about the job remains in the coffin. But perhaps there is a value in holding back, in a time where everyone should share everything? - I have never been able to push myself on the social media wave by sharing my private life. I do not feel comfortable with it, and use it only to elaborate on what is my profession. Social media can quickly become an illusion world where you are not true to yourself. No matter what you do, you must always be true to yourself. Let's take a step back, to June 24, 1969 in Bergen. Sissel Kyrkjebø was born three weeks after US President Richard Nixon announced that he would withdraw 25,000 troops from Vietnam, and three weeks before Apollo 13 left Earth on its way to the moon. Laila and Erling did not know that they had become parents to the poinsettia itself, but gradually the daughter's talent began to shine through. Only three years old, she sang in the children's gospel choir. Mom had talked her in, despite the age limit being five years. - I was fortunately high for my age, Sissel says with a laugh. It has etched itself into the memory, to stand there neatly in a row, while a grown man with glasses stood in front and sang. The man was Rune Larsen, who has been credited with discovering Sissel. By then he had got 80s curls, she had turned 14 and had just started in "Sing with us" on NRK. Adult men with curls have basically played a big role in private as well. Sissel met 24-year-old Eddie Skoller during a TV show in 1989. He was the host, she a guest. The couple married in Bergen in 1993 and moved to Charlottenlund outside Copenhagen. Four years later came his daughter Ingrid. Two years later, Sarah arrived. Sissel talks about the toddler years. The importance of living in the present. Although she toured a lot, she tried to facilitate short trips: - It's not fun to go on tour and be away from the children for two weeks. But at the same time, it's my job. After 11 years of marriage, the couple went their separate ways. Skoller later told Jyllands-Posten: "Actually, we were the perfect couple, Sissel and I. I did not mind playing the second violin. To me, the break came like lightning from clear skies. But as Sissel says, there were some dark clouds in the sky I did not see." In 2011, Sissel and her daughters moved to Oslo. - I was very ready for it. I took a break from my career for two and a half years and was just at home. I wanted the girls to know I was there when they got home from school. Everything was new to them here. They had never lived in Norway, even though it was my home country. Ever since the children were born, Sissel had done her utmost to make them speak Norwegian. They spoke Danish with their father, which was natural, but even Sissel never left under 22 in Denmark. - My daughters answer me in Danish when I speak Norwegian to them. Even after many years in Norway. Sissel laughs and demonstrates with a few Danish phrases. - They speak Norwegian with everyone but me. The daughters are 23 and 20 years old. Sissel twinkles when she talks about having grown children. But at the same time, there is something about letting go. - I have lived a life where I have been traveling a lot. It has in a way been a preparation for what is to come now. She smiles touched. - I am so lucky to experience seeing the girls grow up, and shape their own lives. Life is incredibly vulnerable and goes in phases. Some phases have more uphill than straight ahead. When you have children, you just have to hope that you manage to give them enough ballast that they can build on. A creative playroom When Sissel started approaching fifty, she got an idea. How about giving fans a new song every week for a year? A total of fifty songs, each with a music video and a video with personal reflections. Sissel describes "Reflections" as a creative playroom, where she can unfold freely. With her daughters halfway out the door, she has also had time for that. But what is it really like to see 50 by its name? - All right, assures Sissel. Great. I hope I'm related to mom. She is 86 now and is doing very well. "The First time ever I saw your face" is one of the songs in "Reflections". In the video, Sissel talks about the beauty of a song that is not about hurt feelings, but rather celebrates love: "A song celebrating the first time ever I saw your face. The first moment when I kissed your mouth, the first moment when I lay with you." Sissel herself found love again in 2009, with tax law lawyer Ernst Ravnaas. Also he a man with curls. The couple got married in 2013 in Hov church. The days in the apartment in Oslo usually start with Sissel walking the dogs, and it fits like that, she and Ernst eat breakfast together. United and weekends they spend at the whitewashed country house by the Randsfjord. - I would like to live in the country, says Sissel. But I have a man who has his job. The country house reminds her of her childhood holidays with her grandparents, with fishing trips, rhubarb and currants. - I grew up in a small block of flats in Bergen, so my relationship with the garden is a porch box. Being with my grandparents are golden childhood memories. I dream of becoming a grandmother when I become a grandmother myself. I want to recreate the good feeling. Something my own girls have received from my parents. With adult children, you can in principle become a grandmother soon? Sissel laughs, trembling. - Then I will probably be completely fermented. My daughters also say, "Mom, when you become a grandmother, you'll take it all off." This cycle of life, it is both melancholy and wonderful. Sissel remembers when she moved to Denmark as a 20-year-old. Everything was new. Still, she did not feel lonely. - It was a wonderful time. - I love Christmas, but my view of the holidays has changed We know her as "Soprano-Sissel", "Olympic-Sissel", "Titanic-Sissel" and not least "Christmas-Sissel". How does it feel to be so attached to Christmas that many people think of her before they think of Jesus? Sissel starts laughing. The laughter resounds so loud and long that the journalist blushes and one in the room next door peeks out. - Christmas is a holiday, regardless of whether you are a believer or not, Sissel says and reveals that the song she is most looking forward to on the upcoming Christmas tour is "O holy night". - I love Christmas, but my view of the holidays has changed. Christmas for me is also a cultural phenomenon, like American Thanksgiving, when the family is together. Christmas is our community. Some "Fanny and Alexander" Christmas à la Bergman has never been at their home: - We are not so many in my family. The smallest Christmas we've had was when the girls and I celebrated together, just the three of us. It was very cozy, that too, says Sissel. She adds something that is important to her: - In the Christmas concerts, I want to give the Christmas mood and touch. And make it clear that Christmas is all we have together. That Christmas is for everyone. Whether I sing Clapton or the Bethlehem child. Or Joni Mitchell's song "River", about the sore Christmas, when you are lonely or have love grief. Sissel remembers a childhood with trips in the mountains every Sunday. She, the parents and the two big brothers. Most often it was raining. - We did not go to church every Sunday, but the trips in the mountains were the best service for me. That's still the way it is. I come closest to the faith in the church and in nature. - You may have sung more in church than you have been to church? Yes, maybe, says Sissel. - I feel at home in the church. Faith no one can take from me. It is wonderful to be part of a greater sense of security and to know that you are not alone. It sounds naive, but it's my childlike belief. In addition to the childhood faith, Sissel brought with her from home a reassurance that she would be able to shape her own life. The parents did not give in to the choices. She has tried to pass on the same to her daughters. - You can not live the lives of your children. When parents try, it is often done in the best sense. For example, whether the children have a talent. My parents were supporters and observers. There has been no shortage of offers, but Sissel never succumbed to the temptation to take her daughters on the red carpet. - I was very aware that the children were under my protection. They should be allowed to be themselves. We went to the cinema together when there was no red carpet. What about the upbringing, has she scratched her fingers after steering direction or saving the children from heartache? - Yes, sometimes, says Sissel. But at the same time they are going through this and that. And that's how my parents sat when I was young. I want to be as conscious as Mom and Dad. I never started singing to become a star She is described as a "singer in everything from pop and folk music, to classical and hymns". And just that is quite descriptive. One who has sung with both Odd Grythe, Neil Sedaka, Sting, Plácido Domingo and Warren G can hardly be accused of cultivating his genre. - I never started singing to become a star, but because I loved to sing, says Sissel, and the tone reveals that the lack of a label does not bother her in the least. When Sissel released the album "Merry Christmas" in 1987, it sold an incredible 600,000 copies and stands as one of Norwegian music history's greatest successes. In total, she has sold six million solo albums, recorded music for major films such as "Titanic" and "Lord of the Rings" and toured around the world. How is she before she goes on stage? Jumpy? - No, but I'm getting very tired. I have to have a place to lie down and take a little rest. And then I get adrenaline. Rock band has whiskey on the raider, your requirement is a bed? She laughs. - I've been lying on the floor too. Then I go through the whole concert in my head, just like an a pianist going through the trail. It has happened that she has been given an iron curtain. Sissel does not take it too seriously. Then she just invents some text or starts again. It's not about being so hard on yourself. But in one field she is unshakable: professional pride. Both with herself and with the people she works with. - I'm a perfectionist. She nods at the journalist. - You are also a perfectionist, since you both record the interview and take notes. We should all be proud of our profession. How do you react to them with a more sloppy attitude? - They have to stand for that. For me, it is important to have respect for my profession and take it seriously. I am so lucky that I can choose to work with people who are very good at what they can and who are proud to deliver. But it is a performance profession. There was one who said, "You are never better than your last concert." She nods eloquently. - It's pretty disgusting. But one must at the same time look at what the conditions are exactly this day, and not be too hard on oneself. I have tried to pass this on to my girls as well. For example, when it comes to school work, but also there one must be conciliatory. You have to see the whole picture. What are the prerequisites today? One can only do one's best. When you stand in the middle of it, it is difficult to look up The star dust has sprinkled over Sissel for almost 35 years. But she has also stood by some black holes. The year was 1999. Sissel was seven months pregnant, with Sarah, and was in the process of preparing for her 30th birthday. What were they going to eat? Who should they pray? Then the phone came from her mother. The younger of her two big brothers was dead, 36 years old. - 'I did not understand anything. I cracked. "Why?" I thought. I tried to push the question away, but it came back", Sissel told VG in 2003. When the shock hits, and life more than butter, where does Sissel Kyrkjebø get strength from? How does she get on? - I get a lot of the strength from my faith, says Sissel. But when you stand in the middle of it, it is difficult to look up. What you are going through is so energy consuming that you cannot do it. Then it is incredibly good to have faith and know that you are not alone. She nods. - I try to remind myself that I can learn something from it. That when I come out on the other side, I will be much stronger. And that I'm not alone. I have my childhood faith at the bottom. For someone who has been in the media spotlight since she was a teenager, does she possibly feel that fame has had a price? Is there anything she has sacrificed? Sissel shakes her head. - I do not know of any other life than this. I have not missed a youth more than an athlete has. Athletes may experience ...... ? - I've got something else. I had it like the plum in the egg and have had so many opportunities and experiences. Today, if she with all her experience should give advice to herself as a 16-year-old, on the steps to life, with all the sorrows and joys ahead of her? - You must be true to yourself. Always, says Sissel emphatically. As it says in the Gospel of Mark: "What good is it if a man gains the whole world, but loses his own soul?" That's my mantra.
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The Collector invited Sissel Kyrkjebø to Afternoon Tea to hear her thoughts on being a performer and being a hotel guest at Britannia Hotel. **** Sissel's responses are in BLUE. Sissel Kyrkjebø Artist In Residence 2020. Britannia has on several occasions had the great honor of hosting the Norwegian soprano as Artist In Residence in Palmehaven. Sissel's performances included a lot of storytelling, along with hits from her stunning debut album in 1986, right up to her most recent recording, Reflections; five notable albums celebrating Sissel's 50th birthday, featuring 50 recordings of handpicked love songs, one released every week for a year. Sissel Kyrkjebø Afternoon Tea. The Collector invited Sissel to Afternoon Tea to reflect on being Artist In Residence at Britannia Hotel. The Collector: Welcome to Afternoon Tea in Palmehaven! You have just completed the first two concerts of your residency with us, and you actually also play a matinee during Afternoon Tea on Sunday. How does Britannia Hotel compare to other places you've played or performed at? Sissel: When you come to Palmehaven, you forget about the outside world. You will be greeted by this peaceful atmosphere. This room is so beautiful in itself and it also changes throughout the day, for example with thousands of stars appearing on the ceiling in the evening. You have a place where you feel like it's OK to disappear into your own bubble and forget about the outside world. I love traditions. So stepping into this elegant atmosphere makes me feel like I'm a part of history. You'll find that feeling in historic hotels and places around the world, like The Ritz and Britannia. At Britannia, you can have that "posh" feeling, that feeling of being elevated and cared for at all times and still not feeling like it's getting too much, you don't feel like you're out of place. Some dress up, because they are going to Palmehaven, and others are a little more relaxed and casual. The most important thing is that you feel welcome and that you belong here. This experience is something you cherish. " The Collector: When you perform in such an intimate setting, does your audience's outfit and atmosphere affect your performance? Sissel: Before the concerts, I've seen people at the hotel being really dressed up and stylish, some in their early twenties in their suits and dresses hanging in the bar before they go to Palmehaven. I'm so happy that people dress up for the occasion and I like to see them full of anticipation. Some of them may never have been to this type of hotel before, but they are part of the tradition. They are young and maybe they will bring their children here for special occasions and create their own traditions. As a person who loves traditions, this is something that speaks straight to my heart. But the most important thing for me is that people are comfortable, and you can see from their face that this is very special to them. Perhaps this experience is something they have been looking forward to for a long time and that they share with their loved ones. In any case, it is a unique evening and when you enter this beautiful room you can see that the audience is proud to be here and so am I. The Collector: You have traveled a lot in your career, what do you value yourself when you stay in a hotel? Sissel: Because I have traveled so much in connection with work, I do not like to travel too much when I have time off and during my vacation. I like the feeling of a long weekend; a highlight, something special, something you build up to. I often choose hotels that have a great restaurant. When I visit different places, I like to experience the atmosphere and atmosphere, have a really good meal in the evening, straight to the room, and then get up for a really good breakfast. A good hotel stay is like an oasis, full of taste and experiences and smells and everything! The Collector: So it's fair to say that you enjoy a bit of luxury when you travel? Sissel: Sometimes my life is so busy and there's so much going on that even just twenty-four hours in a hotel like Britannia can really recharge my batteries. And also being able to enjoy a special dining experience during your stay with your loved one... It's luxury. And I have to admit, yes I love it. I appreciate the service, right from the moment you enter the hotel; the way you feel welcome, especially when you come to the Britannia Hotel or other leading hotels, you feel like you are special. Like you're a princess or prince for a day! And it doesn't matter if you're just coming for afternoon tea or if you're staying at the hotel, there's great service and the whole team works together to make sure everything goes smoothly. It makes you feel like you can just sit back and relax.... The staff are very excited that you are there and they want you to have a fantastic experience. The Collector: The Artist-In-Residence concerts we arrange in Palmehaven are both a tribute to the old concerts that were held here at hotels during dinners for many years, and also a new concept that is inspired by magnificent residencies in the familiar Las Vegas style. How has it been to play here as an artist? Sissel: When I started I was only 14 years old and I traveled around and sang in different places around Bergen where I come from. It was just with a pianist and myself. Then you start with bigger venues, and then you have a band and then you have a symphony orchestra. More musicians, but what is always important is the basics, where you come from. And the basic thing for me was an intimate setting. A pianist and myself. This (Palm Garden) is like a big living room. And people have been here for two and a half hours before we come on stage. So people feel comfortable. They have settled down. I love the intimate surroundings. I love the contact with the audience. I love it when something unpredictable happens. That's also why I love working with Trygve, apart from the fact that he's a brilliant pianist, new things are happening all the time. I know I can do whatever I want, and he will be there. And he can do whatever he wants, and I have to be there. It is working together, the interaction that people see up close and become part of. I find the whole setting very relaxed, as if I am performing in this wonderful large living room from another time. |
Music is about sharing and is about incredible encounters. When my ears met for the first time the voice of Sissel Kyrkjebø, I knew then that I would remember that moment for a very long time. Sissel is considered one of the world's top crossover sopranos. Her musical style ranges from pop recordings and folk songs to classical vocals and operatic arias. She possesses a "crystalline" voice and wide vocal range, sweeping down from mezzo-soprano notes, in arias such as "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" from Saint-Saëns' opera Samson et Dalila, to the F natural above soprano C. She sings mainly in English and Norwegian but has also sung songs in Swedish, Danish, Irish, Italian, French, Russian, Icelandic, Faroese, German, Neapolitan, Maori, Japanese, and Latin. Since her first solo album at 16, her musical journey has led to success both nationally and internationally. She has gained praise and recognition all over the world for her angelic and powerful voice. With varied collaborations from; opera legend Plácido Domingo, to the American rapper Warren G, there are few genres Sissel hasn't done. One might also recognize her voice from movies such as The Titanic, and The Lord of the Rings. Sissel Kyrkjebø has a marvelous voice and a very interesting career. For Luxury Activist (and we are all fans here) she kindly accepted the exercise of our exclusive interview that you can read here below. Luxury Activist (LA): Dear Sissel, we read that your passion for music arrived at a very early stage of your life, 9 years old? What has inspired you to embrace such a career? Sissel Kyrkjebø (SK): I have always had music around me. My parents loved music, and the radio was always playing. I grew up with all kinds of music; country, pop, rock, classical and folk. So the love for music came quite naturally. At the age of 9, I started in a children's choir where I got my very first musical training. We had a fantastic conductor, Felicity Laurence, from New Zealand. She has the philosophy that every child should have the opportunity to sing in a choir if they want to. No matter how they sing. The joy of singing and doing music together with others is essential. That is the inspiration of/for my career. LA: You were born in Bergen, Norway. Do your origins have an influence on your work? If yes, in which sense? SK: When born in Bergen it is hard not to be influenced by the beautiful nature and surroundings; the mountains, the ocean, the fjords… the rain …and more rain… and then the sunny days where everybody just pops out happy and full of life. Nature has always been, and still is, an incredibly important part of my life. LA: You are a big star in Norway. You sold a total of 10 million albums and singles in your country whereas the total population is 5.4 million. How do you explain such a massive success? SK: I am probably the last one to know about that…. But a good portion of luck and perfect timing would be an educated guess. When I started at the age of 16, I sang a large variety of songs and music styles. Today it is called a crossover, but in the 80's, they didn't know where to put me. We only had one TV- channel at that time, so when I performed in the intermission at the Eurovision song contest in '86, well it was like everybody had seen it. I have been very privileged and lucky to have been able to have my singing career for a living for so many years. LA: What advice would you give to a young Norwegian singer trying to start her/his career? SK: Always believe in yourself, be true to yourself, and you know yourself best. Be modest and grateful for the people that you meet along the way, and for what you achieve. Be curious and playful and always do your best. Enjoy what you do. LA: All your fans are in love with your crystalline voice and your professional peers are impressed by your large notes palette. Sometimes certain singers see their voice to evolve in time. Do you have any special preparation to keep your voice at the top level? SK: Rehearsing, staying fit and healthy is always important. But equally important is to relax and live a good life. The voice is these 2 small mussels. They are inside your body, and they get affected both by the physical state as well as the mental state. It is hard to sing when you are down, tense or too sad. But at the same time singing can relieve stress, tensions and be so uplifting for everybody. So, it is about finding the right music for the right moment. LA: Following your career for a while now, it is amazing to see how many different music styles you have worked with. From R&B collaborations, Pop and opera. What motivates you to sing in so many different styles and universes? SK: I love music that touches my heart, my soul, and of all kinds of different styles and colors. There is so much to learn from different music styles. It is so fascinating to work with people that have a totally different background and music style than myself. We have always something in common: The love of music and what it has given us. LA: What was the project or moment in your career that made you the proudest so far? SK: I have been so lucky to have been part of so many amazing projects: singing on the score of the movie Titanic, the opening and closing ceremonies at the Winter Olympics at Lillehammer in '94, Christmas in Vienna with Placido Domingo and Charles Aznavour, Christmas in Moscow with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras. But my latest is no doubt my most ambitious project; Reflections. I released 50 songs, 50 music videos, and 50 talk videos explaining why I chose the songs. It was released once a week for 50 weeks. So the listener had a new song each week for a year available on streaming sites and on my web page Sisselmusic.com. It is so great because people can watch it no matter where they live and what time zone. The Reflections project started in May 2019 and ended in May 2020. The songs are from the time frame 1920 till today. I picked the songs that had a special meaning to me. Reflections from life with all its emotions and happenings and stories. Music has a very special way of putting our emotions into words and can express our inner feelings. During that period, July last year, I did a concert with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square for their Pioneer day concert. There was a special song that I had been waiting for 5 years to sing. I needed the right moment and the right setting. This song means a lot to me, and it is called "Slow Down". We performed the song in the middle of the concert. After singing it, the audience started clapping and suddenly 19000 people stood up. None of us was prepared for that response. We performed at the concert twice, and it happened both evenings. "Slow Down" is such a powerful song. It goes straight into your heart. So many people wrote me emails and messages about; how much the song has meant to them and has helped them. And especially during this pandemic, I have understood the power of this special song. It has a religious message, but it really doesn't matter what, or if, you believe at all. This song makes you slow down and breath. We all need that, now more than ever. LA: Tell us something about yourself that not so many people know and it would be worth mentioning it? SK: I can be very lazy, no matter how much I love my work. My dream has always been to live in the countryside. I grew up in a small flat with my family and my cat, right outside the city of Bergen. To have space, be in the fresh air of the countryside and have nature around me from I wake up till I go to bed, is now a dream come true. LA: What can we wish you for the future? SK: I hope my voice will keep on singing for many years to come. New projects are coming up. I have so many things I would like to do. That is why I started my web page Sisselmusic.com where I invite you to come into my musical world. I post videos, behind the scenes, new songs and I tell you about my thoughts, my inspirations and much more. Because of the great response to the song "Slow Down", I just started a "Slow Down Movement". People can share their 'Slow Down' moment to slowdown@sisselmusic.com, so I can repost some of them on my channels. In that way, we can inspire each other to slow down. No matter where you live in the world. Sissel Kyrkjebø sounds like paradise. Her voice reaches everyone's heart and soul and captivates your attention. She is a very passionate artist with a lot of generosity and talent. She will put happiness where there are any and will make you forget about those rainy days by putting some sunshine in your heart. Sissel Kyrkjebø deserves all the fans she has around the world and we are all lucky to be able to listen to her beautiful voice. José Amorim -- Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only and courtesy of Sissel Kyrkjebø and Kristin Saastad. |
Sissel Kyrkjebø's 50th anniversary year was filled with 50 of her favorite songs. The project Reflections launched a weekly melody that meant something to her personally. In addition to the songs, she explained the story and came up with some fun facts about each song. Sissel launched the website SisselMusic.com and her own YouTube channel. As she said, "I don't have the opportunity to travel all over the world, but on my new website, everyone can get to know my musical universe." The first song was released in May 2019, it was Unchained Melody, and the project ended with What a Wonderful World, which came out in May this year. I had decided on all 50 songs in advance, except for one. The 51st came along from a live concert in Utah, USA, last summer with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square the song Slow Down that got such an incredible response. Feedback poured in afterwards from both men and women of all ages, from different countries and cultures. "Slow Down" is actually a religious song, but it reaches you no matter what you believe in. Everyone may need to slow down from time to time, take a physical break, sit down, listen and feel. Find your way back to yourself and hear your inner voice. I can be my biggest critic, now my shoulders are down. It's good to feel that I actually dared to do this alone When Sissel performed the song in Salt Lake City, Utah, in front of 19,000 listeners in the hall, something very special happened. I had been waiting for the right opportunity to sing this particular song for a long time. This was the first performance, with a fantastic choir of 350 singers and over 100 musicians. When I finished singing, you could hear a pin drop, and then suddenly 19,000 people stood up and clapped intensely. What an incredibly powerful experience! You can't be prepared for such a heartwarming and big response, I will always remember what happened. We on stage felt that this was a special moment, the song had grabbed the audience and opened up for something bigger than ourselves. Sissel held a concert the next day for 19,000 new listeners. When she performed the song, exactly the same thing happened as the night before. Everyone stood up and clapped. Slow Down is such an incredibly beautiful song, I think, and obviously many others feel the same. Whether you are a believer or not, from your own point of view, you can sense a calm. I am very grateful to have experienced something so magical, and will always cherish that memory of Salt Lake City, she says. Listeners write on social media and we get emails from all over the world about how they have experienced the songs from Reflections. We artists perform the songs and put our soul and our own story into it, while the audience can hear the melody in a whole new way. It's a lot of fun with that contact. Sissel's intention with the music project was to reach a wide audience. She has achieved that. Now the songs are out there on SisselMusic.com and YouTube like in a library. Now I know that what I have created will not disappear. The songs have a life of their own, everyone can listen to them whenever they want. The songs will live for many years, new listeners will come and I can fill up with new projects, says Sissel and continues: Creativity comes when I'm calm. When I withdraw, I can see from a distance what I am doing, and thus think ahead. Reflections has been an incredibly rewarding and educational process, she says. The challenge was to throw myself into something new, where some things turned out better than I had thought, while other things could have been done differently. The main essence was that I allowed myself to play, explore, and was not afraid to jump into something on my own, without a record company behind me. I can be my biggest critic, now my shoulders are more down. It's good to feel that I actually dared to do this alone. The spring of 2020 was different. Admittedly, it was good to have a break after the last song was released, Reflections became a long project. Sissel was also supposed to be on tour, but it has been postponed until March next year. I have to change my plans, it takes some energy. I need to find other solutions to my projects. Like I can't play with my regular musician, pianist Tim Carmon, who is based in Los Angeles. But something new always pops up when you're open to it, so life hasn't been boring. Like when NRK called and wanted me to attend a May 17 concert, and an entire TV production of a concert was to be put on its feet in just three weeks. I wasn't in the National Romantic corner, but 'we're going to make this happen', I thought. I was so happy for the trust from NRK in such a special situation as the country was in. I wanted to do my best, says Sissel, and continues: Standing in Store Studio without an audience was very special. We had to keep a distance of 2 meters between each of us, so only 13 musicians were allowed in addition to me. Everything was sanitized all the time, so I felt completely safe. The people at NRK are professional and wonderful to work with. The talented musicians from KORK, the conductor Ingar Bergby, Helge Sunde who was the music producer and all the organizers. Yes, everyone was involved in making and lifting the concert. It was an incredibly nice day, and we had a lot of fun. I also recorded an English version of the concert that was shown to the whole world at Viking.tv on the occasion of Norway's national day. When the corona pandemic struck, Sissel was on her farm at Hov. She is still there. With her husband Ernst, his mother Laila and two chihuahuas. We had been working on the farm since mid-February with recordings, that was our base. So we just stayed here! It has been a somewhat frightening period, and even though I have known how vulnerable we humans are, it is especially when it comes so close and that it is happening all over the world at the same time. When I told my mother that we couldn't go to the store that often and had to shop for a week at a time, she said 'it's like during the war'. During this time, I have also seen how people have the ability to adapt, and that we stand together to get through challenges. All people want to do their best in a joint effort, for themselves and for others. Thanks to joint efforts, we have made progress, says Sissel. And she thinks the music is magical in such a context. During this time, we have really seen and experienced how music can help us through difficult and tough times. Such as the song Se ilden lyse. I got a huge number of messages on SoMe about what the song means. People sent me video snippets. One of them was a cortège of fire trucks that drove around the neighborhood with the song on at full speed, and with banners that read: Thank you for caring! to people who were sitting inside when the entire community was shut down. I also thought it was so great and touching when Kåsstil Kvelds on NRK made an edition of Se ilden lyse with various artists, with Frida Ånnevik and Markus Neby in the lead. So incredibly cool! Music can change everything! But luckily, we talk a lot on the phone! Sarah choired with Sissel during the last Christmas concert, but whether any of the daughters follow their mother's musical career path is still completely open. They must be able to figure out their choices for their own lives, and take the time they need. That is important to me. Sissel turned 51 on June 24. It was a quiet celebration considering the situation we are in. I'm still living on my 50th birthday, so I can strongly recommend people to live to be 50 (Sissel laughs). But it would have been nice to have my daughters visit during the summer, at least now there are flights. Fortunately, the situation is improving, and I look forward to life becoming more normalized. Where is the first place you want to travel to when the borders reopen? There are many places, such as Italy, where we should have been on summer vacation. And to England to visit my daughter when you can avoid quarantine. In the longer term, how do you envision the rest of the year? We hope that my Christmas concerts will become something of a reality. They are held in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Germany. We move around from one country to another, so the concerts stay where we are allowed to be and do not have to be in quarantine. In any case, I am lucky to be able to practice what I love, namely singing. I meet wonderful people and get many great experiences, Sissel Kyrkjebø concludes |
It's a special year for me without the planned Christmas tour. We were supposed to have 6 weeks of Christmas concerts in four countries. My team and I have had a long preparation, and we tried all possible solutions for implementation, but it could not be done with the imposed restrictions. Not even in Norway. I have many with me, both those who are on stage and those who the audience does not see. So it's terrible to cancel both for them and the audience. Now we just have to look forward again and try to find new solutions. There is no point in sitting and twiddling your thumbs. Sissel laughs, and at the same time is thoughtful. She has learned to go new ways and think in new ways. From 58 November, she sings at Britannia Hotel in Trondheim, as part of the Artists in Residence event. There will be no Christmas carols then, they will come later. I'm really looking forward to having a few intimate concerts this year. First in the atmospheric Palmehaven at Britannia Hotel in early November, and then in the Christmas month of December at two of Oslo's most venerable and historic venues: Palmen at Grand Hotel on 4 and 5.12. and the traditional Frognerseteren in Holmenkollen on 17.12. It will be a great way for me to do concerts. And all the premises are historic, beautiful and beautiful. How many can come? 70? 120? We have to follow the corona rules and adapt to each event. Sissel is used to singing for large audiences, all the way up to 19,000 audiences, as in Salt Lake City, Utah with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square last summer (2019). Intimate concerts are a great format! I like to get so close to the audience that I can see each one. It's very nice. I'm looking forward to building up a concert that fits this special setting, and I think it will be an incredibly cozy pre-Christmas time this year. Together with pianist Tim Carmon from Los Angeles, whom she met when she was working on her big Reflections project, she has recorded two Christmas carols, so that all Sissel's fans have something new to look forward to. I love the way Tim plays. He's like a musical soul mate to me. We have what I call a musical symbiosis. Incredibly, these Christmas songs were recorded in February this year when we were working on another project. I randomly said to Tim when we finished earlier in the studio: Can't we just record some Christmas songs? I wanted to do it there and then. It was Christmas Time Is Here and Glade Jul/ Silent Night in Norwegian and English. I'm so happy that we managed to do it before the corona period set in. Merry Christmas is a song that everyone can sing, and it puts you in the Christmas spirit immediately. That simple. The melody is a cultural treasure, a calm, meditative song. It also puts you in an inner mood. Christmas Time Is Here is like White Christmas, a classic, but you don't hear it very often on the radio. I didn't have such a strong relationship with it before I went into the lyrics, and suddenly I understood what it was about: A desire for all the good we give each other to last all year round and not just at Christmas. Take it with you in life. That's the message of that song. With Tim's piano playing and the great string arrangements... Yes, there was a real Christmas atmosphere. The Christmas carols can be streamed from October 31 with Christmas Time Is Here and from November 13 with Merry Christmas and Silent Night. We also communicate the releases via my, website, sisselmusic.com, and in social media, as well as streaming services such as iTunes and Spotify. Sissel Sunday at Viking.tv is another project she has embarked on this year. She is not afraid to try out new channels. Every Sunday for 19 weeks until the New Year, I have an episode with songs from the Reflections project, put together in different themes. The Ultimate Love and Betrayal are examples of different themes you can experience throughout a life, and I'm talking about that. Then the talk and music videos follow. It's mostly Americans watching, but anyone can go in and follow. Viking.tv is like Netflix, but without payment. The response to the features has been incredibly positive. In these times, I see how I could use the Reflections project with evergreens put together in a different way to reach a wider audience. I have received attention from Argentina, Brazil, Ireland, Switzerland and South Africa in addition to the United States. It's fun with the response. People really appreciate new versions of songs that they know. There has been a great demand to have the music released in physical format. We have been working on making a Special Edition both on vinyl and CD, with all Reflections I-V, a large booklet with photos from the recordings over the years and a bonus DVD with behind the scenes filmed from the studio in LA and interviews. There are some challenges in these times of corona, but the whole team has worked hard to get it finished, and these days it is being sent to print. In the 19 episodes on Viking.tv, Sissel also talks about different places in Norway. She wants to show how great our country is. She does not have a film crew with her, but uses her mobile phone and films herself with the help of her family. Such as in Kristiansand, by the Randsfjord, at Frognerseteren and in Frogner Park. I am both fond of and proud of the Norwegian nature and culture, and tell you a little about the different places I visit. Everyone can get an insight into what inspires and has inspired me. Many musicians, organizers and artists are frustrated, these are such uncertain times, and it drags on. I try to see new opportunities. It's been frustrating, but at the same time I think it's healthy to have to think outside the box. We are incredibly lucky to live in Norway. What Sissel appreciates about the different year 2020 is that she has had more time, not only for herself and her creative ideas, but also for close family. I have been on the farm in Hov since February and had it as a base. It has been fantastic and has given us the opportunity to have my mother live here. We haven't been so social otherwise, but the year has been rewarding with closeness to family. Taking time is an important theme, and the 51st melody in Reflections became "Slow Down", a song that Sissel inspired people with all over the world. During the corona period, some people can be stressed by not doing anything. Not knowing what is happening, what the days ahead will be like. It can create unrest, and requires enormous self-discipline. How about spending the time calming down and just relaxing? There was an incredible response after the Slow Down launch. I received many wonderful emails from all over the world with personal stories. What if this thing that comes to me can also benefit others, I thought. The result was the Slow Down Movement, where I encouraged people to slow down, let their heart rate rest, gather and tell what makes them slow down. What gives them this breathing space and thus renewed energy. We have been sent lots of pictures and great stories by email that I have been able to share in my social media. People like to hear about and be inspired by other people's positive ideas and see beautiful pictures. We are all lifted up by it! Stories keep coming, and it's good to see that people want to share some of the things that have given them something extra. What has this time done to you as an artist and a person? As an artist, no day is the same. What I did a year ago or yesterday doesn't have to happen the same way today. That's normal. During the corona period, everyday life was suddenly turned upside down. Every day I was in the same place. The days were very similar to each other, and when concerts, tours and trips were canceled, I had to think differently. If I wanted something to happen, I had to create and do it myself. So then it was just a matter of getting started and looking for new opportunities. Using the moment and the days. Then we started with a mix of Christmas songs as well as Reflections on vinyl and CD. Life consists of different phases where you have to think differently. How can I use what I can, what can I take with me and what should be changed? We have to turn over every stone. If nothing happens, then go for a walk in the forest. Enjoy what is around you, there and then. Bring in all the positive to build yourself up and move forward. In Norway, we have a social mindset, and we help each other. There may be some repercussions from this time, economically and socially. But not everything has to be negative. When the Spanish flu came, people lived through it too. In such demanding times, culture is incredibly important, with music and theater. Imagination separates us humans from other living beings, we have creative abilities. We can be inspired through art, influence and lift each other up. It is so important! Each and every one of us has the power to go out and enrich another person, like just a smile when you meet someone this is also about the little things. Giving that little extra in human encounters. It is important to have the 1-meter rule, wash your hands and wear a face mask, but there are also many other ways to stand together. Who can you make happy today? By sending an SMS, calling someone and asking how they are? Then they will get the good feeling that someone has thought of them. It is a special year without the planned Christmas tour, says Sissel Kyrkjebø. It's a special year because both my daughters are in Denmark around Christmas time. So I hope everything goes well with getting to Norway and that we prefer to avoid quarantine. We are already planning an alternative Christmas celebration with distance. Fortunately, we have plenty of space on the farm where we live now. My youngest daughter Sarah recently talked about having a decorated Christmas tree outside, so we can keep a good distance when we walk around the Christmas tree. Maybe it will be so successful that we make a new tradition out of it? I imagine us wrapping ourselves up in lots of clothes and dancing around the tree with snow and lights on. Quarantine, distance, hand washing and face masks. Our own crockery and plates. Updated rules that must be followed at all times. It should go well! The family will celebrate Christmas together anyway, it will take a lot to stop us. We have to use our imagination, act according to the rules and make the best of it. Live your best, take responsibility for everyone to stay healthy and enter the new year healthy. Is there anyone you think about extra in connection with Christmas? I can't help but think about all those who are in institutions and may not be able to see their loved ones at Christmas. They are alone a lot, and may also have to be alone at Christmas due to the situation. Christmas is a family holiday, so I really hope that people have a good Christmas this year. There is a lot happening around the world, it is difficult to understand other people's situations when you live in Norway. Even though I am positive, I am reevaluating how I spend my own time and my focus. This Christmas will probably be very special. My attitude is to be open to the changes that are happening, and just take it as it comes. I am not alone in any case. What about using digital opportunities? The young people can perhaps teach us something there. Physical contact is important, I can't just see people on a screen. Having dinner via Facetime or Zoom is not the same as sitting around the dinner table together, but maybe it will be like that this Christmas? Only time will tell. Christmas will be there anyway, with or without FaceTime. What Christmas traditions do you bring with you? We eat pork knuckle and cod. My husband Ernst is from the south, and fresh cod is incredibly good, but I also have to have the smell of pork knuckle on Christmas Eve. In addition, the preparations with standing and cooking the food, such as red cabbage and kohlrabi puree, are half the fun. Sometimes we also have a vegan dish. We in the family adapt with a little tradition and add new traditions. When do you open the Christmas presents? We open the packages after dinner, for coffee, and after dancing around the Christmas tree. It might get a little late, but it's just nice. We spend time looking at each individual gift. Everything takes place in a calm flow. What Christmas songs do you have to listen to? I have to have choral singing! The Silver Boys, the Cathedral Choir, Oslo Gospel Choir ... I like to listen to the songs I grew up with. And then I have to listen to Mahalia Jackson and Bing Crosby. We always put on Jingle Bells by Barbara Streisand when we dance around the Christmas tree. When Barbara sings, there is free dancing, we let loose, it's lovely after Christmas dinner. We get in such a good mood! Maybe it will take place outdoors this year, with speakers in the snow? It sounds so much fun that I almost think we have to dance outside, inspired by this year's 1-meter rule, Sissel concludes. |
2021 -- Sissel Kyrkjebø is the owner of a charming soprano. She works in several musical directions. The Norwegian singer is known to her fans simply as Sissel. For this period of time, she is included in the list of the best crossover sopranos of the planet. The cumulative sales of the artist's solo albums (not including musical accompaniments to films and other collections to which she contributed) amount to 10 million records sold. Childhood and adolescence -- Sissel Hürhjebø The singer's date of birth is June 24, 1969. Sissel's childhood years were spent in Bergen. She was the youngest child in the family. She spent her childhood surrounded by older brothers. Sissel Kyrkjebø grew up as the most active child. Most likely, she inherited the activity and love for the movement from her parents. As a child, the family often went to the mountains. Sissel dreamed of becoming a nurse, but at the age of 9 her plans changed. During this period of time, she begins to be interested in music. After some time, she became part of the children's choir under the direction of Felicity Lawrence. The singer gave the team a whole 7 years. A little later, Sissel will say that being part of the choir, she gained the necessary knowledge and experience, which she can compare with education at the conservatory. When the girl was only 10 years old, she became the winner of a music competition. After winning the competition, the parents threw all doubts away. Now, they were sure that Sissel had a great musical future. Classical music was often played in Hürhyebø's house. Sissel adored the classics, but did not deny herself the pleasure of listening to rock and country tracks. She adored the work of Barbra Streisand, Kathleen Battle and Kate Bush. The creative path of Sissel Hürhjebø In the early 80s of the last century, Sissel, as part of a children's choir, appeared in the television program "Syng med oss". The first solo performance was waiting for the audience in 3 years. Then the charming Norwegian sang a folk song. Until the end of the 80s, she was a frequent guest of "Syng med oss". In the mid-80s, Sissel performed the musical composition A, Westland, Westland on Syng med oss. With her performance, Hürhyebø hit the music lovers in the very "heart". By the way, the song is still considered the hallmark of the artist today. A year later, she appeared on the television show of Channel 1. On stage, she performed a track from Barbra Streisand's repertoire. In the same year, the singer pleased with the skillful performance of the musical work Bergensiana during the intermission of the international song contest Eurovision. After that, Sissel literally woke up popular. Presentation of the self-titled debut album of the singer Sissel Kyrkjebø On the wave of success, the singer presents her debut LP, called Sissel. The presented disc became the best-selling album in Norway. Fans have bought over half a million copies of the collection. In support of the record, the singer held a number of concerts. Some time later, she also made her debut on Danish television. So, she became an invited guest of the program "Under Ureth". The performer delighted fans with the tracks Vårvise and Summertime. A little later, the discography of the Norwegian performer was replenished with the second studio album. It was named Glade Jul. The collection repeated the success of the previous LP, becoming the country's best-selling record. By the way, this long-play is still considered a record holder. For this period of time (2021) - more than one million copies of the disc have been sold. In Sweden, the collection was released under the name Stilla Natt. After the release of the disc, Sissel received an offer to represent her native country at Eurovision. Despite such a tempting offer, the artist refused. Creative break in the musical career of Sissel Hürhjebø Despite the popularity and recognition of the singer's talent at the highest level, she decides to take a so-called creative break. During this period of time, she becomes a student of a commercial high school, which is located on the territory of Bergen. In the same year, she performed at Trygve Hoff's memorial concert in Tromso. He composed several tracks for the singer, which were included in the debut LP. At the end of the 80s of the last century, she presented her third studio album. Despite the fact that Sissel made big bets on the record, it sold extremely poorly. Poor sales did not prevent her from going to the United States of America with her concert. Then she performed in New York. The performer became the guest of the television program. A year later, she recorded the vocal parts of Princess Ariel for The Little Mermaid. Then Sissel visited the Faroe Islands. During this period of time, she worked closely on the Kistland project. The next year she toured Denmark and Norway. In the same year, she appeared on local television, taking part in the filming of Momarkedet. She delighted the audience with an amazing performance of the musical work Solitaire. The artist's singing was accompanied by Sedaki's piano playing. The musician was amazed by her performance. The artists worked together on the singer's new LP Gift of Love, which was released in 1992. The new long-play of the artist was coolly received not only by music critics, but also by fans. The experts "walked" through the collection "tank", mostly due to the fact that Sissel changed the usual style of presenting musical material. Sissel Kyrkjebø at the opening of the Olympic Games 1994 was an amazing year. The artist performed at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. She managed to get acquainted with Placido Domingo. They even recorded a joint musical composition, which was called Fire in Your Heart. The track was included in Sissel's record Innerst i sjelen (Deep Within My Soul). A few years later, the artist toured the United States of America with The Chieftains. A little later, the singer took part in the recording of musical accompaniment for the film "Titanic". The soundtrack boosted Sissel's ratings significantly. At the end of the 90s, the performer started working on a new LP. The release of the collection was supposed to take place in the "zero", but the artist was dissatisfied with the sound of the compositions, so the presentation of the disc was postponed indefinitely. Sissel's activities in the new millennium In the fall of 2000, Sissel pleased the fans of her work with the release of a new album. The record was called All Good Things. By the way, this is one of the first LPs of the last 7 years, on which there are no guests. Commercially, the album was a success. A couple of years later, she recorded several tracks at once with Placido Domingo. We are talking about the musical works of Ave Maria and Bist du bei mir. In 2001, her discography was enriched with the compilation In Symphony. Then it became known that she was working on another studio album. On October 1, 2002, she released her first album in the United States of America. The record was called Sissel. The new tracks were warmly received by fans, although from a commercial point of view it cannot be called successful. In fact, the new disc is an All Good Things album in the "American way". But, the track list of the album includes new tracks - Solitaire and Shenandoah. She went on tour to support the album. As part of the tour, the artist visited several countries. A couple of years later, the artist's discography was replenished with another gorgeous LP. It was named My Heart. A classic crossover in its pure, academic form - went with a bang to the public. The collection took a leading position in the music charts. She went on tour that same year. On tour, she was supported by a symphony orchestra. At the end of the tour, the artist presented the disc Nordisk vinternatt. Then her discography was enriched with LPs Into Paradise (2006) and Northern Lights (2007). In February 2008, the artist skated a tour of 8 American cities. Sissel Kyrkjebø: details of the artist's personal life She was married to Eddie Scopler until 2004. There was a lot of beauty in this family union. The woman felt truly happy. The marriage produced two children. But, at some point, divorce seemed the only reasonable solution for both partners. After the divorce, she was in the status of a "bachelorette" for a long time. Sissel was in no hurry down the aisle, realizing her creative ambitions. In 2014, she married Ernst Ravnaas. Sissel Hürhjebø: our days In 2009, the premiere of the album Strålande jul took place. A year later, the artist presented the record Til deg. Then Sissel focused on concert activities in the territory of colorful Scandinavia. Then the artist took a creative break and only in 2013 returned to the stage. In May 2019, she released the first of 50 new songs to be released every week for the next 50 weeks. On June 6, Sissel performed with Italian singer Andrea Bocelli at a concert in Oslo. In the same year, she appeared on the show Allsång på Skansen. On stage, the performer presented two new tracks - Welcome to My World and Surrender. This year is also interesting because Sissel went on the Sissels Jul tour. As part of the tour, she visited Norway, Sweden, Germany, Iceland, Denmark. In 2020, she was forced to interrupt her concert activity, but already in 2021, Sissel again pleases her fans with concerts. The next performances will take place in Sweden, Denmark and Germany. |
SIssel Kyrkjebø (52) gained attention as a 16-year-old with songs such as "Love" and "Å Vestland, Vestland". 1986 was thus the year of her big breakthrough, and since then she has been one of the world's greatest artists.
Three years later, she met 45-year-old Danish humorist, musician and entertainer Eddie Skoller (74). After knowing each other for four years, the then 23-year-old Kyrkjebø Skoller gave her "yes" in her hometown, Bergen.
The marriage to Kyrkjebø was Skoller's third, and the couple lived together in Denmark. In a new interview with Dagbladet, the soprano tells how she invested in love back then.
"I've bet several times when it's been something I've believed in and the hope is right. The first time was when I was 20 years old, getting married and moving from Norway to Denmark. We have quite similar culture and language, but I didn't know if I would make friends there or what it would be like," the artist admits, adding that she likes to throw herself into new things.
"I like to be in control of my job, but I try to let go of control otherwise. If you have complete control, you lose parts of your life. For me, it was liberating to come to a new country, and to be something completely different than I was here," she continues.
-- Remarried The 52-year-old also eases the veil on what it was like to become a familiar face at an early age.
"I felt like I was sitting on a train that went very fast after I got to know each other. It was a lot of fun and exciting, but when I was 20 I felt like stopping a little bit. I traveled around for two months, and afterwards I realized I wanted to move to Denmark, which ended up getting married," she admits.
In 2004, however, the marriage ended, and after 21 years in Denmark, Kyrkjebø moved home to Norway.
-- This time, too, the star moved for love In 2013, she married tax lawyer Ernst Ravnaas (67) for the second time. The wedding took place in a secret ceremony in Hov Church, a choir church from 1781 in Søndre Land municipality, without any guests present.
Earlier this year, it was announced that the singing star would release a song with her husband. The couple told VG that Ravnaas, who played the piano as a teenager, had imagined his wife's gentle voice and strummed out longing notes once she was on tour.
Kyrkjebø describes the song as beautiful, and started rewriting the lyrics to find the right story-line. It was the start of a collaboration that ends with a trilogy, where two of the songs have already been released: "I Rest My Eyes" and "The Journey".
-- Sold the apartment Last year it became known that Kyrkjebø and Ravnaas had put their fashionable apartment at Frogner in Oslo up for sale.
They had lived in the 192-square-foot apartment since 2010, three years before they married. At that time, they forked out NOK 8,750,000 for the home, which has since gone through a number of upgrades.
Last year, however, Finansavisen reported that the home was eventually sold for this net sum of 32.5 million, three million above valuation. That's almost quadruple what the couple gave for the home eleven years ago.
Today, Kyrkjebø and Ravnaas live in Søndre Land. To VG, the artist has not hidden the fact that she felt more and more at home there.
"Then we thought to give it a chance, and with a home office and everything, we really got to test it. We noticed during the corona that we didn't miss so much coming into Oslo, we actually thought that it was most lovely to be on the farm, the artist continued to the newspaper." |
Sissel Kyrkjebø has noticed a clear change in her audience after the last few years of lockdown of the world. But she also feels that they are there again - right there, at the end of the stage. And it's still magic that happens when she's in close contact with her audience. The kind of magic that can only happen at live concerts. This year she is up to date with new music, and shortly she will be embarking on this year's Christmas tour, where she will perform in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. When Sissel Kyrkjebø looks at the year that has passed, it has been a year where she has returned to the audience. After more than two years of lockdown, 2022 has been a year where new habits had to be broken. - We humans are habitual people, and it is clear to feel that the lockdown has given us new habits. When the world shut down, we didn't have a choice to stay inside, because we had to. Now we have become complacent. We can experience everything from the couch and we can choose whether we want to go out or stay at home. So now we need to practice new habits where we get out more, says Sissel Kyrkjebø. She recalls the very first concert after the reopening. "I felt unsafe. Do we really dare to do this?" Sissel Kyrkjebø asks rhetorically. The first steps were cautious, but once she felt the audience, she was also reminded why she loves to sing. With this year's Christmas tour, which kicks off in Sweden on 18 November, she is back where she left off the audience before corona. Back to square one, where you meet with the audience and feel the magic happen. And it is magical when Sissel Kyrkjebø sings. For four decades, she has captivated people with her angelic soprano. Because Sissel Kyrkjebø has always loved to sing. As a child, she sang for a time in four different choirs. At the age of 11, she won a singing competition at the local mall in Bergen, where she grew up. At the age of 16, she stepped onto the stage during the break at the Eurovision Song Contest in Norway and sang her way convincingly into the hearts of the people. That same year, she released her first record, and the rest is history. A shining star ------------------- She has over 20 records behind her and a string of soundtracks. If you mention Sissel Kyrkjebø, the vast majority of people over the age of 35 will get a blissful smile on their face and nod in recognition. They know exactly who Sissel is and what her voice sounds like. Even though it has been 14 years since she moved from Denmark and back to Norway. But Sissel has left her mark on the Danish population with her special voice, which not only contains Christmas hymns, but everything from Irish folk music and pop to classical duets. Among other things, with the Spanish tenor Placido Domingo, with whom she sang at the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. She has an impressive international career behind her, and this year alone she has released six new singles divided between "Trilogy I" and "Trilogy II - No farewell". Her audience can look forward to hearing another new single: "Winter Morning", which is among the new songs of this year's Christmas tour. A song has a special meaning to her. - When I wrote the text, I was describing my own winter morning. It's about those dark mornings when you get up early. There is a special calm and silence that, in some cases, can make us feel lonely. But in the morning you know that the sun is rising, and soon the light will come. It is about enjoying the tranquility, perhaps remembering gratitude, and seeing the positive in both what has been and what is. Because even though winter mornings can be dark, cold and tiresome, it's all about making the best of the day as best you can, says Sissel Kyrkjebø. "Winter Morning" was recorded with The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. A 360-voice choir, and it is a big dream for Sissel to record Christmas music with exactly the choir, which is also called America's Choir. - Imagine so many voices singing together. It's incredibly beautiful, and I've wanted to record Christmas music with The Tabernacle Choir for a long time," she says. "Winter Morning" isn't just the seventh new single Sissel releases this year. It is also a song that she co-wrote with her husband, Ernst Ravnaas. He's a tax lawyer and hasn't worked with music before, so it was a bit of a surprise when he wrote "I Rest My Eyes" as a Valentine's gift to Sissel this year. But gradually the two have written more songs together. Christmas in winterland -------------------------------- Although she has lived in Denmark for over 20 years, the Norwegian accent has not let go of her speech. She sings on the words when she talks with gentleness about the Christmas traditions she has created despite the fact that she is on a Christmas tour most of December every year. - But it is always something very special to find the box of Christmas decorations. And one box has become two and three over the years. I like to buy Christmas decorations to take home from my travels. Little things that remind me of the places I've visited. Our nativity scene is global, because we have characters from all corners of the world, says Sissel Kyrkjebø. When she goes on a Christmas tour, she's away almost until Christmas Eve. "The last concert is December 19, so our Christmas is going to be very calm. In fact, it always is. For me, Christmas is first and foremost about being with your loved ones, and it's still nicest to be together when you're not stressed. So Christmas stress we don't have here." She can easily bake Christmas cookies between Christmas and New Year instead of doing it before Christmas Eve. There she has better time, and they taste just as good, as she herself says. When she lived in Denmark, Christmas was often more American than Danish-Norwegian, because for a number of years she was married to entertainer Eddie Skoller, with whom she also has her two adult daughters. Therefore, she has been eating turkey for Christmas for many years. But since she has moved to Norway, it has once again taken on a more Norwegian touch. - There are certain dishes that we eat here in Norway at Christmas, but it is not the same across the country, as in Denmark. In Norway, what you eat at Christmas is more regional. We have a dish called pinnekjøtt, which is dried, salted lamb ribs that are steamed before eating. I have tried to present it several times to my Danish friends, but they are not quite as crazy about it as we are here in Norway, says Sissel Kyrkjebø laughing. This year she will play her last Christmas concert in the Old Hall at the Royal Danish Theater in Copenhagen on 19 December. Only then can she begin to think about Christmas in her own home. - On Christmas Eve we are going out to find a Christmas tree. It should be fairly straight and not too big. Then we decorate the tree, and then we are ready for Christmas tranquility. I grew up in Bergen, where it rained a lot in winter - just like in Denmark. And it is clear to feel that it makes a big difference that it is cold and snow-white in winter. Sissel Kyrkjebø has a long music career behind her, where she has toured the United States with the Irish group The Chieftains. Together with them, she has appeared in David Letterman's "The Late Show". In 1997, she co-recorded the music for the film "Titanic". The film score itself sold 24 million copies. She is Knight of the 1st Class of the Order of St. Olav - a Royal Norwegian Order of Merit awarded as a reward for distinguished merits of the fatherland and humanity. Current with the Christmas tour "Sissels Jul 2022" in Denmark, Norway and Sweden and new Christmas album, "Winter Morning", with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square on November 18th. Today, Sissel Kyrkjebø lives in a country house just outside Oslo, where snow is guaranteed for Christmas. This means that winter takes on a different meaning. - There are many who have a cabin in the mountains that they visit in the winter and spend Christmas in. Then they can ski and make ice lanterns, says Sissel Kyrkjebø and draws a wish scenario for a Christmas that many people crave. - Here where I live, many people have a kick support that they ride when they need to shop. It's really smart, because then they can have the basket of goods on the seat," she says. |
Is it appropriate that Tara's journalist meets Sissel in the café of the new National Museum on Vestbanen in Oslo? She may not be a national treasure quite on a par with Bridal Procession in Hardanger by Tidemand and Gude or Soria Moria Castle by Theodor Kittelsen, but it is not far off either. It is of course a shame that neither Sissel nor I have yet been able to visit the new museum, and we are content to eat canapés, primarily topped with high-quality Norwegian ingredients, while we talk. It will serve as surroundings on a somewhat hushed November day while Sissel takes a break from the preparations for this year's Christmas tour. I think there have been about 25 Christmas tours now, but I'm not quite sure. The first one was probably in 1989, but it was with Oslo Gospel Choir and Rune Larsen, we were a group. We traveled around with that Christmas tour for 11 years. We called it the tenth anniversary, but then we found out afterwards that it was 11 years. We didn't dare to say out loud that we had missed by a year, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Sissel laughs often, and she laughs heartily. It doesn't take much to trigger her laughter muscles, and once they're in motion, they tend to keep going for a while. When she gets a buzz from this first of many balls of laughter that will follow the next hour, she concludes that maybe it's 25 in total, there was a break for a few years because of the kids and the pandemic, but plus minus 25? Sissel Kyrkjebø Julealbum GOOD FOOTING: Sissel is unpretentious, friendly and ordinary, and has her feet firmly planted on the ground. She just happens to be one of Norway's most famous artists as well. Current with: His annual Christmas tour. Currently releasing new music composed together with her husband, so far only digitally. Is it largely the same repertoire or will there be many adjustments? You always have someone who repeats. O helga natt is fixed, and I've also started doing To God Be The Glory, or My Tribute as it's actually called, by Andrea Crouch. It's not a Christmas song, but I started doing it with the Oslo Gospel Choir, and I still have it. Then of course there are things like Happy Christmas and Deilig er jorden, but I switch around a bit on other Christmas songs, bring in some American and English stuff and other types of songs that I think fit in with what I want to convey that year. Like the brand new 'Winter Morning', for example? Yes, it will be included. Sissel is out with new music, and it's actually a small sensation. Admittedly, she carried out a massive project called Reflections in connection with her 50th birthday a few years ago, which we will return to shortly, but it was a project a bit on the side of everything she has done before. If we disregard Reflections and some Christmas singles, including a version of Anne Grete Preus' lovely Alt det som skinner, she has not released new music since the album Til deg in 2010. The special thing about the new music she has released throughout 2022 is that she has started a collaboration with her husband Ernst Ravnaas, a man who had not written a song in his life before he subtitled his wife about a year ago. He just sent me a file on a text message, where he told me that he had written a song, which he thought was very nice himself, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. It was the one that became I Rest My Eyes, the first song he had ever written, and then he got blood on his teeth after that, then. Now he composes a lot, and I try to tell him that even though he writes, not everything is published, just so that he is aware of it, ha-ha-ha-ha I picked songs that touched me, songs where I thought that I want to tell this story And now you've released six or seven songs? Yes, seven with Winter Morning. It's impressive considering that it's a man who hasn't written music before. Yes, it's an incredibly fun collaboration, and we've actually recorded even more that will come next year. So what are Reflections? In connection with Sissel's 50th birthday in 2019, she recorded, hold on, 50 old, well-known and beloved songs (it ended up being 51) and released them consecutively, one a week. They were released digitally, and later collected on five albums. All the songs got their own music video in addition to another video where Sissel explains each individual choice of song. Sometimes you have to do things that are a little crazy. That whole project is crazy from beginning to end, she says about Reflections. It started with me wanting to go into the studio with very few musicians and record some songs live. I've always wanted to record standard songs, because I've never had the chance to do so, and then I had an idea. This sounds very sticky, but I wanted to record ten songs that were just about happy love for my husband, for Ernst, as a wedding present. I thought it would be a bit nice, true, but then I never finished it until we got married. Sissel and her Ernst, a retired tax lawyer, got married in 2013, so it's safe to say she went a little over the deadline, but what happened was that the whole project changed. I had to tell Ernst that my little project wasn't quite finished by the deadline. He also got involved and came up with songs and ideas. Then it gradually changed to not just be about happy love. I picked songs that touched me, songs where I thought that I wanted to tell this story. I imagined that the mood of the songs would be that you are sitting in a room on a dark evening, it is often autumn and you are sitting there with lit candles and a cup of tea or whatever it is, you are alone, and it is just completely silent. Maybe you can hear the crackling of the fireplace. And then the thoughts start to swirl, hence the title Reflections. Then it became so that each song got its own story. Sissel did not have such a strong relationship with all the songs, but spent time finding things that would fit into the project. DIDN'T TAKE THE BIG LEAP: When Sissel was on the threshold of world domination, she stepped on the brakes and stopped. Career or family? She prioritized her family, but still had a bright career. Some of the songs I had a very close relationship with, and others came along the way. It was a very nice mix. Then there is the fact that I have always found this with social media difficult. I had to adapt and find a way to communicate that is me, and not be told that now is so and so in or that you have to do things in a certain way. I didn't want to jump on some wave. If I don't think it's fun or makes any sense, then I won't do it. So this was your big digital and social media-like project? Yes, and that's why we made these videos where I talked about each song, next to music videos for each of them. It was to create my own musical universe that I could invite my audience into. When I've gradually gained audiences in many different parts of the world, it's a great way to communicate. Besides, it will always be there, it doesn't matter if you see it today or in five years. I was also aware that I had to think long-term when I don't have a big record label behind me and am just little me in a big world. Then you have to be lucky to be heard, especially when you have an audience like mine, who are maybe 45 plus and are not the ones who stream the most, says Sissel modestly. Years go by, and everything changes. We won't even begin to talk about the general state of the world, but we can safely say that the record industry is also different from what it was when the pleasant miss from Bergen made her record debut in 1986. Today, Sissel releases her music herself through the company Early Bird Music, which would have been unthinkable at the time. It started in 2011 when I moved back to Norway and decided to take a few years out of my calendar, the time it would take for my family to land, so that both the girls and I felt that now we have come to a place where we belong and I could start working again. Then I terminated the contract I had with my management and started Early Bird Music. I had an employee on an hourly basis who took care of cases that came in. Did it feel good to take control of your own career? I had been in the industry for so long. When I broke through, I had a big apparatus around me. When everything goes so fast and there is so much going on, you are completely dependent on it. But now I chose to retire, and then I felt that I could see more about what all these people had done. What do they do? What kind of tasks do they have? I also had a need to know more about what the industry entails. I could have focused on my voice, on singing and doing the best there, but I wanted to broaden my horizons a bit so that I know what's going on around me. It's also about the fact that if I know how big a job it is, I appreciate it more when others do it, she believes. Sissel says that it became easier to understand the processes after she made the decision to say good-bye to her old helpers. HER OWN BOSS It's been many years since Sissel left the established record industry and set up her own company. She has not regretted it. Since the industry has also changed so much, I needed to know more. Now I see, for example, that it's nice that others don't say 'You have to remember to send a greeting tomorrow morning because the fans will see you without makeup'. If I choose to post a photo taken in the morning, it's because I have a thought behind it, that I see it in a larger whole. Today's young artists grow up with social media being part of the package, and the somewhat older Sissel finds joy in being part of the processes herself right from the start. She points out that it is also important for young artists to keep themselves up to date with everything that is happening around them, but emphasizes that today's further education in music takes into account the entire spectrum of artist life. Then you learn to build yourself up as an artist, what rights you have, how you can influence your artist career through social media. The record industry is happy for all these young artists who come with a ready-made package so they don't have to spend so much money, but then it's very important that that artist also manages to resist when someone finds out that they want to make some changes because they no longer sell so well. Then you have to know very much who you are before you start, but that's how it's always been. At the age of 53 and with your own company, do you not have to deal with these issues? Yes, but at the same time you have to know that you won't necessarily get the same attention as with a large company behind you. They have so much power and such large networks. But you're also completely comfortable with this, aren't you? It's about doing things at your own pace. If I had been on a record label, I would never have been allowed to do the Reflections project, because it was so breathless and so big and so violent and so difficult, because no one had done anything like that before. Then the easiest thing to do is to say 'Sorry, you can't do that'. Sissel Kyrkjebø belonged to the established record and music industry for something like 25 years, so she knows what she's talking about. Not that she has a bad word to say about any of her old collaborators, in which case she keeps it to herself, but she is clearly happy to manage her own career and the freedom it has given her. From a young age she was swirled into the world of music, she has lived her life on its terms, and then there is undoubtedly something seductive in controlling what can be controlled. The music can't be tamed anyway, but with everything around her, it's different. How did Sissel's path into this life actually start? She has always praised Barbara Streisand and talked about her influence, but was it with her that it all started? Does Sissel remember the first time she heard someone sing and thought that she would do this too? Mmm, then we're going to go back an awful long way. I was very omnivorous when it came to music. My parents listened to country, and they listened to Vikingarna, there was everything, but I remember being very fascinated by Wenche Myhre. She was tremendously good on stage, and she still is. She has an incredible way of communicating. She was funny, she could sing, she kind of had all that showbiz stuff for me when I was little. I don't know if it was the glamorous part, I just remember seeing her on TV and that she could do so many things. That was also what fascinated me about Barbara Streisand. She couldn't just sing, she could be an actress, she could do everything, Sissel beams. With Wenche Myhre, it was that she had the sense of humor, and that she was very present on stage. Grethe Kausland felt the same. And Wenche Foss in A gentleman with a mustache! I remember watching it at a Sunday matinee and thought she was absolutely amazing, right? I watched a lot of black and white movies at the Sunday matinees that were on NRK. There were also lots of operas, but not all of them were as merry, so to speak. I didn't know what it was, I just found out that I had to learn as much as possible. We didn't have much classical music at home, so when there was classical music at the matinees, I had to take it with me. Sissel goes on to talk about how she tormented herself through lengthy matinees, and that she probably saw some Wagner stuff that I couldn't bear to watch until the end, but she was stubborn. She was going to find out classical music and opera, even though the rest of the family was not interested. They let Sissel watch in peace every Sunday. I remember being very fascinated by Wenche Myhre. She was tremendously good on stage, and she still is. When you see the whole opera, you don't get the highlights, right? Then you have to grind your way through, and then comes the one song that is so nice while the rest is so mediocre. There were some I gave up a bit, but I was going to bring all the Sunday matinees with me, which was kind of an alternative to the lighter Friday and Saturday entertainment. Tell us briefly about the family you grew up in. I grew up with two brothers who are older than me, and we lived in an apartment in Lønborg, a kind of suburb outside Bergen, not like Furuset or Stovner, it's not that big. It was like three blocks and a few other houses, but there was nature around us. I went to school close by, and everything was very nice and calm. We could go hiking in the mountains, and all that. What did your parents do? My father worked in accounting, and my mother was a secretary. Very average. How much older are your brothers? Six and nine years old, so I was a bit dressed up. They were very good with me, would go for a walk with me and such. We lived a good distance outside the city center, and there was a time when my two brothers and their friends were going to look after me for an hour while my mom was doing something. The oldest was maybe 11 or 12 years old, and they found out that the Fish Market, it was something! There they had such basins with fish swimming around, and they thought that Sissel thinks it's fun, we have to go to Fiskebryggen. This whole group of five or six boys went with me, and it probably took several hours just one way, so my mother got really anxious. They never came back, but a neighbor had been in town and told my mother that she had seen us standing over a fish basin, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Sissel started singing in a choir when she was nine years old, and has sung practically all her life. Does she feel that she has in any way sacrificed her childhood or youth on the altar of music? No, quite the opposite. I sang in the Bergen Teachers' School's children's choir, and there we had a fantastic conductor named Felicity Lawrence. She was from New Zealand and was actually a classical concert pianist. It was my door opener to sing seriously. She taught us general singing technique, and we sang all sorts of things. I ended up singing in more and more choirs, because I thought it was so incredibly fun to sing with others. Then only one thing took the other, and when I started high school, Melodi Grand Prix came in 1986. She already had several TV appearances behind her, including in two such different programs as the youth program Halvsju and Odd Grythe's reminiscence for the elderly, Do you remember?. Now Sissel became a half-time feature in the Grieg Hall when Norway hosted the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time after Bobbysocks' historic victory with Let it swing the year before. At that time, I was in the first grade of high school. I didn't think anything about it, it was just completely natural, and for me, the three years at high school became a sanctuary. Already from the age of 14, I had started traveling around every weekend and singing, of course more or less locally. In high school, I went with people who were active in politics, and people who played sports at a very high level. We had one who was a very good swimmer, and she had been training for an hour before she came to school with red eyes because of the chlorinated water, so I had people around me who were completely absorbed in the things they were doing, just as I was engrossed in what I was doing. Then we met at school, and we had it in common. That's exactly how I wanted it. She chose not to go to music high school, because she was afraid of getting bored if she had music around her all the time. Suddenly it becomes too serious, and I was so fond of having it as a hobby. One must never forget to be a happy amateur. I was allowed to preserve that, and I was in a class where a lot of others also loved music. There was a guitar in the classroom, and every time there was recess, someone took out that guitar and we started singing. Then it was sing with the voice you have, true, and there were many people there who had sung a lot in choirs and things like that. But you're one hundred percent self-taught? Yes, but I learned a bit in the children's choir, and then I probably had my first singing lesson when I was 18-19 years old. Before that, I learned a lot from listening to Barbara Streisand. October 1986 was a special day in Sissel's life. At the time, she was 17 years old, and released her debut album, "Sissel", which went all the way to the top of the VG list, thanks in part to songs such as Kærlighed and Vestland, Vestland. She was also named Spellemann of the Year, and in 1987 she made record history with the album Glade jul, which sold more than half a million copies. It was and is unsurpassed. In the years that follow, Sissel becomes one of Norway's biggest celebrities. She follows up the record success with her third album, Soria Moria, again a collection of songs that are at least partly wrapped in national romanticism, and she also experiences great success on the theater stage in a production of The Sound Of Music, which is played in both Oslo and Bergen. In 1992, she sings during the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Albertville, and later in the year her fourth album, Gift Of Love, will be released. It is her first English-language album, with well-known and lesser-known American and English songs, which also attracts attention outside Norway's borders. I grew up with two brothers who are older than me, and we lived in an apartment in Lønborg, a kind of suburb outside Bergen It also caused a stir when Sissel married the 25-year-older Danish actor and artist Eddie Skoller in 1993. Sissel was 24 years old, and the age difference became an issue for almost all of Norway. The age difference? No, I didn't experience it, she says with a shrug. I had also experienced that everyone had an opinion about me ever since I was 16, so I didn't think about that at all. It is in 1994 that Sissel stands on the threshold of a real international breakthrough. The eyes of the whole world are on the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, and Sissel will perform during both the opening and closing ceremonies. She sings the Olympic anthem, but more important is that Se ilden lyse becomes the official Olympic tune, written by Jan Vincents Johannessen for Sissel. She couldn't have gotten a stronger business card to an American record industry that was ready to invest in this exotic wonder from the north, and it was even recorded as a duet with the Spanish superstar Plácido Domingo under the title Fire In Your Heart in the hustle and bustle of a canteen in Lillehammer just before the Olympic opening. Everyone thought the duet version would be a hit, but it only appeared on charts in Switzerland and Germany. Was Sissel surprised? You know what, I haven't thought about that, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Sissel Kyrkjebø young Are you coquettish now? No, it's absolutely true, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. On paper, it was very exciting, and it happened very spontaneously? Yes, and it was great fun, but at the same time I have to say that for me, the Olympic song with Plácido was the opening into something completely different again. So I haven't actually thought much about it. You've been more grateful that it became a kind of door opener? Yes, but not just a door opener, it became a friendship. Plácido took me to Christmas In Vienna, and I was a guest on his album Sacred Songs one of the many Sacred Songs albums, ha-ha then I was on Christmas In Moscow, we've done concerts together, so the fact that it didn't become a huge hit doesn't mean anything to me. It may be wrong of me to say it, but for me it was so great just to sing with him, and not least the collaboration we had afterwards. It may well be that the producer Svein Gundersen and Jan Vincents Johannessen are thinking about it, but not me, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. I made a good friend, she emphasizes. It's the thing about this industry being incredibly unpredictable, you can't plan anything. Just take the Titanic. While we were recording the music for it, there were rumors in Hollywood that this was going to be the biggest flop in history. It didn't work out that way. No, but there were strong rumors about it while we were recording the music. It says something about the fact that there are many things you luckily don't know about in advance, ha-ha. The US launch in the wake of the Olympics opened many doors for Sissel. There were several headlines in the major trade magazine Billboard, she had music in Titanic and other films, sang a duet with rapper Warren G, which received a lot of attention, was twice a guest of David Letterman, and toured with the Irish band The Chieftains in the United States. A lot happened in just a few years, but Sissel never became a real superstar. She became relatively well known, but not famous. Did it have to do with the fact that she herself held the brakes a little, that it would cost her too much to invest one hundred percent? Yes, I actually think so, she says without blinking. The reason for that is probably that I had already had children, in 1996, true, and I felt that if I was going to invest in the US, the whole family would have to move away. Well, my husband Eddie didn't deny it, there was nothing like that, he said this was up to me. He saw that this was a huge opportunity for me. He had also made such a choice himself, i.e. not to invest, so he thought that he should not say anything, and he did not either. I just felt that the timing wasn't right, and it meant a lot to me that my family would be based in Scandinavia. We were not supposed to be based in the United States. My Norwegian roots were so important and are so important, she emphasizes. I knew that if I moved, I was at the mercy of the fact that those around me knew what they were doing, that they knew their job and that they made the right choice for me. I didn't know the industry, I didn't know what it meant to be over there. Because I had already done so much, I had a foretaste. I knew that it was really hard work, and then I couldn't have a family. If we had moved to New York or L.A., I would have been on the road all the time anyway, so it wouldn't matter where I lived. Or that is, if I were in the United States, it would be easier for them to use me, there are shorter distances, but it was not the kind of life I wanted. Despite that, can we say that you persevered, for a long time, and you achieved incredible successes over the next fifteen years? Yes, I did, and I had a lot of fun. If I had been free and frank and had no family, it might well be that I would have chosen completely differently, but I would have made a choice and started a family, and I was insanely happy living where I lived and living the life I had just outside Copenhagen. It's a bit like you know what you have, but not what you get, and it's not just me who takes a chance, but the whole family who does it. Sissel was also unsure whether the Americans would be able to place her. I mean, I wasn't pop, I wasn't classic, and the crossover hadn't started yet. It hadn't been invented, and I'd been doing it since I was 16. But you didn't have much reason to fear that you would fall between two stools either, did you? No, but I remember that when we got over there in 94, the Americans wanted to re-release the album Gift Of Love, and then I had just come out with the Innerst i sjælen record, which I felt was me. That's the way I was. They wanted to release something that all Americans knew about, but then I just said, 'No, I don't want that.' Since I said no there, I think they just put me on hold a bit, I made it very difficult for them. But by all means, I felt that they worked as well as they could all the time, that they had faith in me. They wanted to, but there was the thing about no one else doing what I did. Every time I've come over there and met the people who work in the record company there, they've always been incredibly nice and friendly, so it has nothing to do with it. I had a really good time with them, but they just didn't know what to do with me, and I don't blame them, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. No one can accuse me of being commercial in any case, when I say no to such things. It doesn't take much to make an old soprano happy Nevertheless, Sissel drove pure Formula 1 races as an artist more or less continuously until 2010, despite having two daughters, Ingrid in 1996 and Sarah in 1999. Her marriage to Eddie ended in 2004, but Sissel and the girls stayed in Denmark until 2011 when she took them home to Norway and Oslo. I wanted the girls to grow up close to their father. There was no other reason than that. If I had been a big egoist, I would have moved to Norway right away, but I would rather commute between Denmark and Norway for seven years. I felt that was terribly tiring. Sissel had met her current husband Ernst when she moved home, and the small family of four moved into an apartment in Fritzners gate in Frogner. Not only did the songbird return home, but the songbird took a break. Now it was time to nurture family life. In 2013 she married Ernst, and towards the end of the year she resumed the Christmas concerts. The fact that she returned to the limelight, however, does not mean that she did so to the same extent as before. The years from there until today have been clearly less active, and recently they moved out of Oslo, to an old farm in Søndre Land that they bought about ten years ago, where life is definitely moving at a slower pace. Does she ever miss the pace? No. But I actually think we have quite a fast pace now and, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. What feels different? I've gotten older, and by getting older, you might get a greater inner peace. Also it's that I like to have it easy, but I did that before too, then. I'm really one of those people at home, and I always have been. I really enjoy it when I get to be on the farm. It has been good for me to move to the countryside. You've always lived in quite peaceful surroundings, haven't you? Yes, and I did the same in Denmark. But I noticed that I just had to have more air around me, and it was a bit difficult to get in Fritzners gate. We really enjoyed living there, there were fantastic neighbors, so in that sense it was not an easy decision to make. You already had the farm, and now you are renovating. Is it a big project? Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. She said and burst out laughing. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, yes. But when we bought such a large place back in the day, it was so that we would have room for yours and mine. We had the apartment in Oslo, but if we wanted a place where both Ernst's family and my family could gather without anyone stepping on each other's toes, where we didn't get the feeling of not breathing if it was a rainy day, we had to have something big. It's also absolutely fantastic, then. It is a very nice place, on the west side of the Randsfjord. This far out in the country, it should at least be possible to air your vocal cords without the glasses in your neighbor's glass cabinet cracking when you reach the high C,. How does Sissel really think her voice has fared over all these years? Is it harder to get what she wants, or does it flow just as naturally? No, you feel that you've gotten older. I have to think a little differently, become even more aware of the things I took for granted before. The voice is there, but before I didn't have to practice much. Now I feel that in order to keep the instrument going, I need to practice more regularly. It rusts more easily? Yes, simply, but then I get very happy, then, when I notice that it doesn't take that many rehearsals, everything is in shape. You get a little extra happy then, you know. It doesn't take much to make an old soprano happy. It doesn't take much to make an old soprano happy. There you have a phrase you don't hear every day! Nei, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Sissel laughs her rolling laugh again, and it's impossible not to be infected by her good mood. After all these years as a superstar, she appears as the exact opposite of a feted diva, and is only kindness and normality itself. How has she managed to stay grounded? I grew up with the idea that you should be responsive to others, that you should show tolerance and be open to whatever others may bring. Even if others have different points of view than you, you have a lot in common. Is she happy with all the choices she has made in her career? Yes, because I'm not very good at looking back, perhaps? I'm not the type to sit and dwell on things, why didn't I do this and that. Maybe you haven't made any obvious mistakes either? At least it doesn't look like that. No, but I don't know. I don't think anything about it. I haven't thought about this, but it could well be that I should have agreed to release Gift Of Love in the US? It just didn't feel quite right, and to put it that way, I only know where I am now, and I don't really have any need to be anywhere else. I think it's very fine, I have no need to manifest anything else and say why didn't I do it, and why didn't I do it? You won't get anywhere with that, so I don't want to spend unnecessary time on that. That's probably just as well. Sissel is and will remain one of Norway's biggest singing stars of all time, and that should be enough for everyone, right? |
The Norwegian star Sissel Kyrkjebø has been on stage for decades. Now she tells Nöjeslivet about the importance of standing up for yourself, and always daring to go your own way.
"The most important thing is that you don't lose yourself in the middle of everything," she says. Sissel Kyrkjebø has become a well-known name over the years and has achieved great success both at home in Norway and internationally.
She has released a lot of music, been on big stages and been both praised and loved for her fine performances.
Here in Sweden, she is perhaps best known as a true Christmas queen, as her atmospheric Christmas tours have become a tradition for many.
Sissel Kyrkjebø Christmas tour Also this year, the star goes out to spread joy and Christmas spirit in Scandinavia.
"Even if the winter atmosphere is not outside the door, there should still be a winter and Christmas atmosphere when you are at the concert. When I hold Christmas concerts, I think it is important that the audience feels that there will be a new concert every year, because many of the people who come have been to my concerts before. Therefore, they want to renew themselves and ensure that the audience gets a new experience, but at the same time keep the Christmas feeling", she says when Nöjeslivet has a chat with her ahead of the upcoming tour.
After all these years in the spotlight, it is precisely the great love for music that is still Sissel's driving force.
"I started singing because I thought it was fun, and I love being on stage in front of an audience and singing with talented musicians. To feel that community and what we have together. That's what drives me, and I always have to stay true to the joy I originally had. You must never forget that, because then you lose the whole thing," she says.
Refusing to change according to trends That it is an industry where appearance, trends and ideals are given a lot of space is hardly a secret.
But Sissel Kyrkjebø explains that from the very beginning, she has been careful to always be herself, and not to change herself to fit into any template.
"I've always had a very relaxed attitude to how I look and my image. I've always thought that I have to be honest and just be who I am, because I can't be anyone else. Even if something is trendy, or 'cool', I shouldn't do it if it doesn't feel like me," she says to Nöjeslivet. Didn't recognize the image that was reflected in the media As a young woman, she sometimes reacted to the image that the media portrayed of her, in which she did not really recognize herself.
Today, she looks back on it and understands how important it was to continue to follow her own path.
"Then I got an image that I didn't recognize myself in. But you can't be someone other than who you are. Then others may perceive or interpret it differently. But I think that if you are yourself all the way, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, the most important thing is that you know who you are," she says.
"It's important that you always stay true to yourself" The fact that many young people today already have an identity as an artist when the record companies discover them, she sees as something positive.
"They have found their expression and many already have a profile and identity when record companies or others discover them." In today's climate where beauty procedures are becoming more common and social media is taking over more and more, she believes that it is especially important not to lose yourself in it.
"I think it's a shame. That's why I say never forget why you started doing it. If you did it because you wanted to be famous and a superstar, then that was the dream. But what happens when you get there?", she says and continues: "We all have different driving forces to achieve our goals. But I think it's important to always be true to yourself." Such wise words, Sissel! We wish you all the best! |
The recipients of the Anders Jahre Culture Prize 2025 are violinist Vilde Frang (1986), guitarist and composer Knut Reiersrud (1961) and vocalist Sissel Kyrkjebø (1969).
The Anders Jahre Culture Prize is Norway's largest honorary award for outstanding cultural efforts. The total prize amount, NOK 1,500,000, will be awarded during a ceremony in the University Aula in Oslo on 4 September 2025.
"The three laureates' artistry has many similarities, they started at a young age and perform in the international arenas. In their own way, they are central to the development of dissemination through their artistic practice," says Bentein Baardson, chair of the prize committee.
Vilde Frang is a violinist who plays with the big orchestras and world-renowned conductors. Knut Reiersrud has a unique position in Norwegian cultural life, as a performer, songwriter and communicator of music history. His guitar playing runs like a blue thread through Norwegian music life.
Sissel Kyrkjebø conveys her singing in many arenas and gives us great experiences with her musicality, the award committee sums up.
The members of the award committee are Bentein Baardson (chair), Svein Olav Hoff, Helene Uri and Jon Gunnar Pedersen and Ingrid Bjørnov.
ABOUT THE LAUREATES VILDE FRANG (b. 1986) Frang began playing the violin at the age of four. From 1993 to 2002 she received lessons at the Barratt-Due Institute of Music. She was regarded as an enormous musical talent, despite her young age. At the age of ten, she played with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and in 1999, at the age of twelve, she made her debut as a soloist with the Oslo Philharmonic under conductor Mariss Jansons. At the age of 12, she came into contact with the world-renowned violinist, German Anne-Sophie Mutter (b. 1963). Mutter quickly became a mentor for Frang.
Frang plays as a soloist with renowned international orchestras and world-renowned conductors, whether it is a full-scale orchestra or a chamber orchestra. She is highly acclaimed for her musical originality and virtuosity wherever she plays. Vilde Frang has released a number of albums and is currently playing a Guarnerius violin from 1734.
KNUT REIERSRUD (b. 1961) Knut Reiersrud is a living legend. His guitar playing runs like a blue thread through Norwegian music life. He masters every style without losing his distinctive tone, a tone he says originates from childhood, when he heard sad hoots in the area around Østensjøvannet.
Reiersrud made his debut as a guitarist in 1980, on Marit Mathiesen's album "Think about...". His big breakthrough came 11 years later, with the album "Blå Koral" in collaboration with Iver Kleive and Nils Einar Vinjor. He has continued as a man of collaboration and has so far contributed to more than 300 albums.
He plays solo, he plays in duo – with Solveig Slettahjell or Koralreven – with his own band and in other people's bands. He jams with ensembles from all corners of the world. One moment he is rigging his guitar like a Hardanger fiddle, the next he is interpreting Dvorák with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra. He can easily tear off a breakneck guitar solo, but first and foremost he masters the noble art of excelling without bragging rights.
Reiersrud holds a unique position in Norwegian cultural life, as a blues guitarist, songwriter and communicator of music history. With a blue heart and wide-open musical soul, he shares his knowledge with the population in the radio program Bluesasylet.
SISSEL KYRKJEBØ (b. 1969) She captivated the whole nation when she sang during the break during the Eurovision final in Bergen in 1986, in a white bunad, only 16 years old. Since then, it has just continued. She has been praised and celebrated at home and abroad and masters both the small format and the very large, everything from American TV shows to film music. Her singing knows no borders, she masters all genres, from opera to rap.
About Anders Jahre's Culture Award The Anders Jahre Culture Prize is an honorary reward for outstanding efforts, preferably for Norwegian cultural life. The prize was awarded for the first time in 1990, and this year's vintage is thus the 36th in a row.
The award winners will be honored with an award ceremony that will take place in the University Aula in Oslo, followed by a gala dinner at Hotel Continental. The prize consists of a significant sum of money, as well as a hand-calligraphed diploma and a beautiful watercolor by Håkon Gullvåg. The prize is the largest in Norwegian cultural life.
The award committee consists of Bentein Baardson (chair), Svein Olav Hoff, Helene Uri, Jon Gunnar Pedersen and Ingrid Bjørnov. Press release from Anders Jahre's Humanitarian Foundation
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Sissel Kyrkjebø, the international singing sensation and national treasure of Norway, is established as one of the world's leading crossover sopranos. Her angelic and powerful voice has made her a national institution. She has contributed haunting vocals for the soundtrack to "Titanic" and "The Lord of the Rings", as well as selling over ten million solo albums. In 2006, her album, "The Spirit of the Season" with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir went to number one on the Billboard Classical Charts, and received a Grammy nomination.
She captivated the whole nation of Norway in 1986, when she sang during the break at the Eurovision final in Bergen - only 16 years old and dressed in a white bunad (traditional Norwegian folk costume). Since then, her fame and success have just continued to soar. She has been praised and acclaimed at home and abroad, and masters both the small and the very large formats -- everything from American TV shows to film music. Her singing knows no bounds - she masters all genres - from opera to rap!
She has sung all over the world, and has performed duets with singers like Charles Aznavour, Andrea Bocelli, Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, Mario Frangoulis, Josh Groban, Brian May, Neil Sedaka, Bryn Terfel, Russell Watson and rapper Warren G. Her list of achievements makes you dizzy -- ranging from Schubert to Deep Purple - "O mio babbino caro" to "Udsigter fra Ulrikken". Truly a very remarkable talent and voice that only comes once in our lifetime!
It is difficult to say anything that hasn't already been said about Sissel, but "National Treasure" and "Norway's Joint Voice" are two of the terms used about the "girl from Bergen". In 2005, she was knighted by the King of Norway, being the youngest ever to receive this honor.
On June 28, 2025, Sissel finally performed with the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra - on the island of Stangholmen - during the Risør chamber music festival. This was her first appearance at this six day festival.
On September 4, 2025, she (along with two other contestants) was awarded the "Anders Jahres Culture Prize". This is Norway's largest honorary award for outstanding cultural efforts. The prize was awarded for the first time in 1990, and this year's edition is the 36th in a row. The prize winners are honored with an awards ceremony that takes place in the University Hall in Oslo, followed by a gala dinner at Hotel Continental. The prize consists of an amount of NOK 500,000, a hand-calligraphed diploma and a beautiful watercolor by Håkon Gullvåg. For Biography Sites, click: [ HERE ], [HERE], [ HERE ], [ HERE ], [ HERE ], [ HERE ], [ HERE ], [ HERE ], and [ HERE ]. |
 | portraits of Sissel [ HERE ]. Note: It is a VERY large file, 900 Mb. |
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