weather4casts (2012)

Four seasons in four movements

for twelve solo voices (amplified ad lib.)

The text of the four movements are put together of weather forecasts from Danish Institute of Meteorology (edited by John Frandsen) and poems by the Danish author Simon Grotrian.

English translation by Paul Hillier.

Listen here to 2nd movement Early Morning (Danish: Tidlig Morgen) in a recording of the first performance 27 May 2012 in Copenhagen by Ars Nova Copenhagen and Paul Hillier

Watch a performance of the first movement

The Wind by Helsinki Chamber Choir, conducted by Kaspars Putnins at Nordic Music Days 2013 in Finland.

Poems by Simon Grotrian are included also in

John Frandsen's Requiem

Score is available

through Edition S'

TOVE Edition

There is a long and old tradition for music inspired by the annual seasons and the weather cycle. This short vocal cycle is my version of "The four seasons". The text is a compilation of weather forecasts by DMI (discretely edited by the composer) and poems by the Danish author Simon Grotrian, expressing very open and free associations on weather and nature.

The songs are clearly connected to the Scandinavian climate. Here in the North we live with huge contrasts between summer and winter, light and darkness.

The weather is a main common life condition. It affects our general mood and has important impact on our daily way of living. My song cycle is a tribute to the weather changes and to the wild forces of nature. I can't promise them to give us better weather - and so all my efforts are yet another confirmation of the old Mark Twain saying:

Everyone talks about the weather

- but no one does anything about it!

John Frandsen

Danish version

Danish version