War Sailors’ Requiem – A Large Scale Work filled with the sounds & emotions of the sea, to honor the War Sailors

On Norway’s Liberation Day, May 8, 2025 – 80 years after the end of World War II – LAWO Classics releases Krigsseilerrekviem, a powerful and moving new work by composer Bjørn Morten Christophersen.

This requiem honors the Norwegian war sailors – the men and women who risked their lives to keep supply lines open during the war. Their heroic efforts went unrecognized in Norway for decades after the war. With Krigsseilerrekviem, their stories are brought forward with force, beauty, and depth.

The libretto weaves together the sailors’ own words with the traditional Requiem liturgy. The music blends Christophersen’s signature clarity with reflection on the sea, loss, courage, and the struggle to move on. At times intimate, at times dramatic, this is a requiem for those who never came home – and for those who did, but continued to carry the burden of war within them.

Releasing the work on May 8 gives it a deeper historical resonance, inviting reflection and community on a day that marks both freedom and peace.

Bjørn Morten Christophersen (b. 1976) is a leading voice in Norwegian contemporary music, known for his work with vocal and orchestral repertoire. He is also a senior lecturer at the University of Oslo and has composed for many of Norway’s foremost ensembles and orchestras. 

Royal Norwegian Navy Band – One of the professional military bands of the Norwegian Armed Forces, based in Horten. With a long tradition of performing Norwegian cultural heritage, the band is known for both historical and innovative projects and has actively supported the war sailors’ cause since the 1960s.

The Norwegian National Opera Chorus – One of Scandinavia’s leading professional opera choruses, acclaimed for its expressive and precise ensemble work in both opera and concert performances. A cornerstone of the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet. 

Conductor Bjarte Engeset is one of Norway’s most experienced conductors, known for his deep insight into Nordic music and his ability to convey both the poetic and monumental. He has collaborated with numerous major orchestras and has an extensive discography with a particular focus on Norwegian repertoire. 

Astrid Nordstad is a Norwegian mezzo-soprano from Trondheim, known for her warm, expressive voice. She won the Tom Wilhelmsen Opera and Ballet Prize in 2022 and has performed roles such as Suzuki (Madama Butterfly), Olga (Eugene Onegin), and Tisbe (La Cenerentola) at the Norwegian National Opera and the Royal Danish Opera. She has also appeared at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

Thorbjørn Gulbrandsøy, a tenor from Bergen, is based in Amsterdam and has built a national and international career following his education at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He has appeared at leading venues such as Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Opera North, and the Gran Teatre del Liceu. His roles include Pelléas (Pelléas et Mélisande), Rodolfo (La Bohème), and Roméo (Roméo et Juliette).

Magne Fremmerlid is a Norwegian bass with a distinguished career at the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, where he has been a permanent soloist since 1997. He has performed key roles such as Sarastro (The Magic Flute), Scarpia (Tosca), Hagen (Götterdämmerung), and King Marke (Tristan und Isolde). A sought-after concert and oratorio soloist, he has worked with the Oslo Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonic, and Stavanger Symphony Orchestra.

Magnus Ingemund Kjelstad is a Norwegian baritone born in 1991, educated at the Royal Danish Opera Academy under Susanna Eken. He made his debut at the Royal Danish Theatre in 2017 and has since sung roles such as Guglielmo (Così fan tutte), Marcello (La Bohème), and Edwin (Die Csárdásfürstin) with the Norwegian National Opera, RingsakerOperaen, and Opera Østfold. He is also an active concert and lied singer, performing works such as Winterreise, Carmina Burana, and Messiah. In 2025, he appears as Gudleik in Hulda in Lillehammer.