Sofia Jernberg & Kit Downes

With Jernberg’s extraordinary and exploratory vocal techniques and Downes’ unique approach to organ and composition, audiences can expect a musical experience that moves between the sacred, the spontaneous, and the deeply human. In collaboration with Trondheim Jazz Orchestra’s expressive and versatile ensemble, this concert promises to challenge and move its listeners. Prepare for a meditative and boundless journey—where improvisation meets structure in a space where sound is allowed to breathe.

Line-up:
Sofia Jernberg – vocals, composition, Kit Downes – church organ, piano, composition, Marta Warelis – piano, Eirik Hegdal – saxophone, clarinet, James Alsopp – saxophone, clarinet, Espen Reinertsen – saxophone, bass clarinet, Eira Bjørnstad Foss – violin, Karoline Vik Hegge – viola, Sigrid Sand Angelsen – cello, Veslemøy Narvesen – drums, Ole Morten Vågan – bass

• A British pianist, organist, and composer based in London, Kit Downes is renowned for his releases on ECM Records and has received both the BBC Jazz Award and the Paul Acket Award from the North Sea Jazz Festival. He composes and performs music for church organ, piano, and harmonium—both solo and in collaboration with artists such as Squarepusher, Bill Frisell, and Susanne Sundfør. Downes has composed commissioned works for leading festivals and orchestras across Europe and teaches at the Royal Academy of Music. His music is sonically rich, exploratory, and full of contrasts—making it a perfect match for the acoustics of Molde Cathedral.

About Hexham Heads, by Kit Downes
I remember a dream I had when I was a child—maybe 6 or 7 years old—where I saw a flower with two different colours at once. Not a blend of the two, but both colours simultaneously. In the dream, I accepted the impossibility of it. That feeling is the place—or something like it—that I’m always searching for in music, and tonight once again—a feeling I hope you’ll experience too.

This music was written for my daughter, Leika Marie.

• Born in Ethiopia and raised in Ethiopia, Vietnam, and Sweden, she is a singer and composer, and a rising star on the European and international contemporary music scene. At the core of her work is a deep exploration of unconventional techniques and sounds, with a focus on the acoustic human voice. She addresses themes such as identity, internationality, origin, and belonging—with a strong belief in community and collaboration. Music theatre and contemporary opera play a key role in her artistic practice, and she comes to Molde this summer following performances with, among others, the L.A. Philharmonic and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. She has received numerous commissions as a composer and collaborates with choreographers, visual artists, and filmmakers.

  
  Both Jernberg and Downes will compose new works for Trondheim Jazz Orchestra for this concert.

• A band, an idea, and a concept. A recipe for success, where the ingredients change with each serving—a musical phoenix that rises again in new shapes and forms, with new musicians for every version of the band. So it is with this latest incarnation.
  Since its inception in 2000, the ensemble has showcased Norwegian composers and musicians through a multitude of different projects, including collaborations with international stars such as Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, Joshua Redman, and Jason Moran, as well as with the very finest of Norwegian and Nordic composers and performers: Erlend Skomsvoll, Eirik Hegdal, Sofia Jernberg, Maria Kannegaard, Kim Myhr, Jenny Hval, Stian Westerhus, Ståle Storløkken, Espen Berg, Marius Neset, Ole Morten Vågan, and Signe Emmeluth, to name just a few.

The fact that the orchestra continuously reinvents itself with new lineups has made Trondheim Jazz Orchestra a constantly regenerating force—just as the human body renews all its cells over a decade, TJO aims to do the same at least a couple of times a year! For our 25th anniversary in 2025, TJO returns to Moldejazz to celebrate the music, the band, and the audience—a new project that will serve as a fitting finale to our week in Molde.