Photo & © Tina Schuster
Friday night Kristina and I arrived at Malmö airport – Sturup – and took the bus to central Malmo, where we stayed at the Mayfair Hotel together with Tina, Rachel and Rachel’s parents.
The next day we met for breakfast and then we had time for some shopping. Shortly before 2 pm we took the train to Hyllie, and Malmö Arena. The show was 3.5 hours long and I must admit that my expectations were moderate before it started, even if I had no doubt that Helen’s performance would be brilliant. But we got to see an impressive, fast-paced show with many highlights. I think the first act was the best one, not least the Singapore Armed Forces Central Band, with dancers and colorful splendor. They also sang, to the crowd’s undivided delight, Vem kan segla förutan vind – in almost perfect Swedish! Other gems in the first act were Team Rullest; 20 roller skaters from Estonia, The Emerald Isle Irish Dance Team, well-choreographed until perfection, and Musique de la Brigade de Sapeurs-Pompiers de Paris, who very unexpectedly offered some spectacular dance moves.
But Helen was of course the best, dressed in a beautiful blue-purple dress. She made her entrance in a fire brigade truck, and during the first act, she sang two songs; the duet Fragancia / Fernando together with Fredrik Lycke, and Du måste finnas. We were quite curious about how that song would sound with a military orchestra, and we can all confirm that it was very good! During the songs a smaller band entered the stage to accompany.
The second act started at a slightly slower pace. Also now we got to meet Team Rullest, the Irish dance team, and Malmöflickorna, not to be forgotten. The Norwegian His Majesty the Kings Guard’s Band and Drill Team greatly impressed with an incredible well drilled marching. This time we had to wait until the finale before we got to enjoy Helen, who performed Gabriella’s song and, along with the other participants and the audience; the Swedish national Anthem Du gamla du fria.
“Not all artists would have been able to reach out from the arena floor, surrounded as they were by wind musicians and drums” , the Swedish newspaper Skånskan wrote on Sunday, but there was no doubt that Helen did, with her voice and charisma!
Here is the full program:
ACT 1
Opening Ceremony
Stars and Stripes Forever
War March of the Priests
Fragancia / Fernando – Helen Sjöholm & Fredrik Lycke
Hymne des Sapeurs Pompiers
Team Rullest
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Royal British Legion Band & Corps of Drums
Drum Flourish
General Mitchel March
National Emblem
Music from the Last Mohican
Twin Eagle Strutt
HM Jolies
The Royal Artillery Band & The Royal Fire Brigade Band
The Gael Sunrise over Alba
You Raise me up
Killalohe
Musique de la Brigade de Sapeurs-Pompiers de Paris
Sambre et Meuse
Le Rève Passe
Auprès de ma blonde
Quand Madelon
Party Rock Anthem
Choeur des Soldats
Gangnam Style
Waka-Waka
La vie Parisienne
Fångad av en Stormvind
The Emerald Isle Irish Dance
Team Lord of the Dance
Singapore Armed Forces Central Band
We are Singapore
Iyrkaiyin Kaatchi
Gurindam Jiwa
Yong Gan Deb Zhan Shi
Vem Kan Segla
We are Singapore
Act 1 Finale
The Middy
Du måste finnas – Helen Sjöholm
Svensk Fallskärmsjägarmarsch
PAUS
Royal Air Force Pipes and Drums
Queen Elizabeth’s March – Steamboat
Cock O the North – Pikemans March
Mac an Irish – Devil in the Kitchen Strathspey
Devil in the Kitchen Reel – Itchy Fingers
Chumsy Lover
Lord Lovats Lament
51st Highland Division
Malmöflickorna
Rhapsody in Rock II
The Royal Artillery Band
Bond of Friendship
Game of Thrones
General Mitchell
Against All Odds
Post Horn Galop
The Corps of Army Music
The Regimental March of the Royal Regiment of Artlilery
Team Rullest
Summon the Heroes
The Band of the Swedish Royal Army
Svensk lösen
Batman
Trumsalut
Avanti per Patria
The Emerald Isle Irish Dance Team
Riverdance
His Majesty the Kings Guard’s Band and Drill Team
Gardemarsj
Under blågul fana
Vidda
Trumsalut
Hjalar-ljod
Gammel Jegermarsj
The Royal Fire Brigade Band & Fredrik Lycke
On the Quarter Deck
Kungliga Svea Livgardes Defileringsmarsch
Delilah
Semper Fidelis
Finale
Kungl. Norra Skånska inf.reg. marsch
79:th’sFarewell to Gibraltar
Highland Cathedral
An American Trilogy
Gabriellas sång – Helen Sjöholm
Du gamla du fria
Scotland the Brave / We’re no’ Awa’ Tae Bide
The show was 3.5 hours long, and during the first of them it felt perfectly OK. But we had booked both performances this Saturday, and already in the beginning of the second one I felt the tiredness coming. Now also Anna M. had joined us, as well as Rachel’s parents. And flowers for Helen had been submitted to the staff. For a while I even had trouble to stay awake, but suddenly there was a drama in the row behind us! An elderly man collapsed on his seat, paramedics were summoned, who provided him with oxygen and helped him to the hospital. After that I luckily perked, but the second show was a little bit more boring, and I mostly sat waiting for the different highlights that I knew would appear in the program.
Shortly after 11 pm the show ended, and a few hours later we were, very happy but fairly exhausted, back at our hotel. “It was a perfectly organized and very entertaining time for the audience..”, Skånskan wrote in its review, and I can only agree.