ELI HELLAND

I was born in 1960 in Bergen, but I now live in an artist residence in Åsgårdstrand, Norway.

I am coming to Rome for one main reason: to come closer to the enviroment where the swedish saint St:a Birgitta (1303-1373) lived and grounded her first convent, still in use. My plan is to visit the convent and to sing with the nuns in masses. This is my first visit in Rome, and I am excited to finally come see and experience some of the influences Birgitta had while living in Rome.

St.Birgittas works, more than 800 written revelations, has been part of my work for 23 years. I have composed music to parts of Birgittas prayers and revelations, and in October this year my new choire work ”Visa mig vägen” is performed for the first time. Choire, organ player, two jazz musicians and me as a soloist.

St:a Birgittas revelations was written in swedish and translated to latin by St:a Birgitta. In 2015 Oxford University Press published an english translation, and my plan while in Rome is to start the process of translating my choire work, which is now sung in swedish, to both english and latin. To make it more available internationally.

I am cooperating with professor Unn Falkeid at the University of Oslo, who leads a huge research project about St:a Birgitta. Falkeid will also be in Rome during November, and we will meet to deepen the cooperation and make future plans.

I have also a long lived dream: to learn to speak and understand the italian language.

During the Meet the artists event I will perform some of my music peices with Birigttas lyrics. The music is available on streaming, Spotify, iTunes, TIDAL (just type my name and then chose the swedish titles).