The Word Became Flesh

Jan Sandström was born in Vilhelmina in Lapland in 1954 and moved as an eight-year-old to Stockholm. After studying composition at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm, he went north to the top of the Gulf of Bothnia, where he was appointed professor of composition at the Technological University in Luleå, Piteå School of Music.

Sandström’s catalogue includes music for various ensembles, choir, opera, and ballet – but above all for orchestra, with or without soloist. The Motorbike Concerto for trombone and orchestra (1988-89) is among the most popular Swedish orchestral works of all time, with over 600 performances since its premier in 1989. In 2006 Sandström was commissioned to compose a birthday present cantata for the King of Sweden’s 60th birthday.

After performing Sandström’s setting of Es ist ein Ros entsprungen in 2007, Chanticleer approached him to compose a new piece especially for the 2010 Christmas season. After lengthy discussion of myriad text possibilities, Mr. Sandström and Music Director Matthew Oltman discovered a mutual fascination with the opening of the Gospel of John, which is represented here in The Word Became Flesh. It uses sweeping metaphors to tell the story of the appearance of Jesus on Earth, his eventual struggle, and the hope he left behind for billions of believers today. Sandström’s sonorous writing combined with the beautiful acoustics of our Christmas venues brings to vibrant life the other-wordliness, timelessness, and profound mystery of the text.