Uppsala Nya Tidning 181215
By: STEFAN WARNQVIST
Concert
Helen Sjöholm &
Anna Stadling
University Aula, Friday
(…)
“Get ready for some new songs,” Anna Stadling says, after two songs in her and Helen Sjöholm’s Concert December – Songs in the wintertime.
(…)
Even before their declaration, the gig had actually offered surprises. The duo began with a moodful interpretation in Swedish of Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareille’s sad pearl Winter Song and Önskar dig en stilla natt (Wishing you a quiet night) by Bo Kasper Orchestra. Their voices interwoven as if they were the same and pure music magic arose.
When the tour was announced, Stadling and Sjöholm seemed like an unexpected combination, but as soon as they started singing, the pieces fell in place. Their musical chemistry is natural and obvious, and it appears that they are relaxed in each other’s company. And it turns out that the combination, in fact, is not so unexpected: they were born at the same BB in Sundsvall with one day’s interval, became friends when they were eleven years old and started singing together in the choir Ton-Sillerna. But it’s 20 years since they last stood on stage together.
Tastefully backed by Jesper Nordström (keyboard), Roger Gustavsson (guitar), Andreas Unge (bass) and Pecka Hammarstedt (guitar, keyboard, banjo, ukulele) the duo continued to build an atmosphere of peacefulness. The dark red foundation wall behind the musicians and lighting technician Anders Amréns fingertip feeling gave an appropriate visual framing. Stadling and Sjöholm offered personal anecdotes about Christmas songs that were important to them, scattered snowflakes on stage and read an excerpt from Ring, Bell, Ring. But what primarily made the concert was their coherent voices and empathy in the song.
On the repertoire there were interpretations of Swedish songs, such as Snö (Snow) by Eva Dahlgren, contemporary American songs like There is a light (Emmylou Harris), Working on a Dream (Bruce Springsteen) and Christmas Time in Washington (Steve Earle), traditional Christmas songs like We Three Kings, The Holly and the Ivy and As with gladness men of old as well as own songs of the duo. The encore In the bleak midwinter became a powerful finale.
Sjöholm and Stadling really met their promise to offer songs with Christmas mood that have not been played broken. Christmas concerts can not be much better than this. Let’s hope it doesn´t take another 20 years before they get back on stage together.
(Due to copyright reasons the entire review cannot be reproduced)