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This is probably the mest beloved Swedish psalm and one composers rarely mess around with… The melody, the harmony, the movement is known by heart by virtually everyone, but I couldn’t resist the impulse to use this hymn to create what ultimately became a very personal love song. The original psalm is five verses and I decided to give the piece an arch form with the first and final verses bookending with the melody as the basis for shimmering clusters, the second and fourth verses being in jazz-tingued chorale style and the mid verse, which I believe has the most beautiful lyrics, being more naked and perhaps more serious. The Haga Motettkör performed Den blomstertid nu kommer in service and in its summer programme in June 2011. The piece is dedicated to my fiancee. - Mikael Carlsson, January 2012

Drop me an email if you would like to have a look at the score!