Norwegian composer and pianist Ola Gjeilo announces the release of his choral album, ‘Dreamweaver’ via Decca Classics, featuring several world-premiere recordings. Gjeilo is one of the most frequently performed composers in the world. This album marks Gjeilo’s first venture into choral music in over six years, since ‘Winter Songs’, described as a ‘release of heavenly, bewitching, eternal new choral music for our time’ (Classic FM) and it was praised by pop singer Ellie Goulding, who even chose his music to be performed at her wedding back in 2019.

In this new album built around two new multi-movement works titled The Road and Dreamweaver, Gjeilo pays homage to his home country of Norway.

The centrepiece of the album, Dreamweaver is inspired by one of the best known Norwegian medieval folk poems, Draumkvedet. The album features soprano soloist Grace Davidson, texts by Charles Anthony Silvestri, and showcases Gjeilo's versatility as it also includes instrumental and solo piano tracks: ‘I love that contrast, between the intimacy of solo piano and the bigger sound world with choir’ (Ola Gjeilo).

Ola grew up in a musically eclectic home listening to classical, film music, jazz, pop and folk, a broad background that he later incorporated into his classical composition studies at The Juilliard School and the Royal College of Music in London. The ‘Dreamweaver’ album includes an arrangement of one of the composer’s favourite folk songs, which later became part of the Norwegian hymnal, in Ingen Vinner Frem Til Den Evige Ro.

The Road embarks the listener on a musical journey through one of Norway’s most stunning stretches of road. Each track is named after significant places that are close to the composer’s heart. It begins near Hallingskarvet, below the regal mountain and close to Ola’s family hometown of Geilo. From there it continues through the breathtaking landscapes of the Hardangervidda mountain plateau, before turning steeply downward towards Hardangerfjorden, ultimately completing the journey by ascending again from the village of Kinsarvik, along the mighty waterfalls of Husedalen.

The album features Ola Gjeilo on the piano, the Choir of Royal Holloway (University of London) and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The conductor is Rupert Gough, Director of Choral Music and College Organist at Royal Holloway since 2005.