Arbetarbladet 130331
Two well-known voices and a full orchestra. This spring Gävle Symphony Orchestra collaborate with Magnus Carlson and Helen Sjöholm and land in the 80s.
It’s a March afternoon at Magnus Carlson’s home in Stockholm and not much more than a month to go to the concert that Helen Sjöholm, Magnus Carlson and Gävle Symphony Orchestra will do together, and for a few hours the singers have been sitting and listening to over 70 potential songs together with Hans Ek, who will arrange them and conducts the orchestra at the concert on May 4 at the concert hall in Gävle.
– Damn, there are so many great songs, says Helen Sjöholm.
They have wanted to go outside of their normal repertoire, leave the expected.
– One might think that it would be many songs from the 60’s, but we have leaned towards the 80’s, says Magnus Carlson and they drop names like Elvis Costello, Nick Cave, David Bowie, Depeche Mode.
– And Yazoo! says Magnus Carlson. We have tried to find songs that are not standards. But it’s still going to be that feeling that wow, this song I haven’t heard in 20 years.
And consequently leave what they usually do behind.
– We do that 360 days a year anyway, says Magnus Carlson.
He is perhaps best known as the lead singer of Weeping Willows, but has also in recent years leaned towards jazz with The Moon Ray Quintet. Helen Sjöholm is perhaps most associated with the title role in “Kristina från Duvemåla”, but also has many hits together with Benny Andersson Band and film and television parts on her résumé.
This is Magnus Carlson’s idea from the beginning. Some six years ago or so, he and Helen Sjöholm took part in a Ted Gärdestad tribute.
– But then we didn’t sing together, but I have wanted to do that since then, Magnus Carlson explains.
– And I think it’s super luxurious, simply yes, how fun, says Helen Sjöholm.
They intend to do duets of most song material.
– We’ll fight over who should sing the chorus, Helen Sjöholm says.
But first they must devote a few more hours to decide which songs to fit in the program.
– That’s our biggest problem, that there are so many good songs. Now it’s kill your darlings, says Hans Ek.
And on May 4 one can hear what darlings were left, at the Concert Hall in Gävle.