Sølvguttene

Sølvguttene (the Boys of Silver) is a Boys' choir founded by Torstein Grythe in June, 1940. He would hold the position as conductor until 2004, when Fredrik Otterstad took over. The choir had its first rehearsals in his apartment in Oslo, but were soon offered to rehearse in Norwegian Broadcasting’s (NRK) facilities. The thought was that the choir would be permanently linked to NRK, and the first radio performance was held in December 1940. Conditions during the German occupation soon made it impossible to continue the cooperation with NRK, and the choir was for the remainder of the war years managed by the founder/conductor. Sølvguttene got its name primarily because of the shiny, silvery uniforms that were acquired in the beginning (for lack of other, more subtle materials). Later the name has been attributed to the special sound and clarity of boys voices, voices of silver.

Sølvguttene (Norwegian Broadcasting Boys’ Choir) comprises about 90 boys and 30 adult male singers, all of whom have previously been boy singers. Additionally, 25 boys aged 7 to 9 are training to be qualified for the concert choir. The choir will normally comprise around 60 singers on international tours, and regular concerts.

The choir has become an extremely popular institution in Norway with its many performances on radio and television, in addition to concerts all over the country. In particular the program "Sølvguttene synger julen inn", which is broadcast every Christmas Eve, has been a major success. In addition, the choir has toured all over Europe and also the USA and the former Soviet Union on several occasions. The choir is known internationally because of its emphasis on sound rather than on technical perfection.

The choir has often been engaged to perform at official events, such as the closing ceremony of the Lillehammer Olympic Games and the baptism of the Norwegian Princess Ingrid Alexandra.

Sølvguttene has been invited to and performed in some of the most spectacular churches and concerts halls in Europe, among them Westminster Abbey in London, St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and the Berliner Dom. They have also performed with internationally recognized musicians such as Kiri Te Kanawa, Andrea Bocelli and Ole Edvard Antonsen.

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Wikipedia