December 2008

The 62nd Norwegian Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square will be lit on Thursday 4th December in the annual ceremony that attracts thousands of spectators to Central London. The first tree was brought over in 1947 as a token of Norwegian appreciation of British friendship during the Second World War.
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This year, the Royal Norwegian Embassy's annual Christmas concert at St Martin-in-the-Fields will feature jazz, classical and traditional music. Tord Gustavsen's Trio will be presenting meditative chamber jazz, and the concert will also feature Ingebjørg Kosmo, a leading mezzo soprano from the new Oslo Opera House, along with pianist Tore Dingstad. [+] Read more

‘Oslo's Emerging Cityscape’, a new exhibition at London’s Oxo Tower Wharf, will present the award-winning Oslo Opera House and the urban regeneration scheme of Oslo’s seafront where numerous British and international firms are now competing to design the new Munch Museum and other buildings.
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On December 3rd and 4th XFM's John Kennedy will broadcast his celebrated radio show X-Posure with a focus on Norwegian popular music. ”I’ve been playing Norwegian music on my show for a long time, but after I started working on the documentary my interest has increased to a new level," says Kennedy. 
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Celebrated Norwegian artist Kjell Torriset is currently exhibiting recent paintings at the Northumbria University Gallery. Torriset is resistant to being neatly classified, tamely corralled in some “ism” or other, but in some ways this development has echoed the move from the absolutes of formalist abstraction to the polyvalent images of its successor. [+] Read more

The seasonal exhibition 'Winter Warmth', which brings together a wide range of contemporary arts and crafts, is will be held in Falkirk with Norwegian glass-artist Ingrid Nord as one of the exhibitors. Nord, who specialises in graphical art made out of glass, graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 2005 with a Bachelor in Fine Arts. 
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By returning to the Brother Grimm's original story of Cinderella, the Lyric Hammersmith theatre presents a Christmas show for the whole family with a top-notch creative team including Norwegian 'ice musician' Terje Isungset. He is one of Europe’s most accomplished and innovative percussionists. With over two decades experience in jazz and Scandinavian music he pushes the boundaries of each genre. [+] Read more

Need a few new pieces for your living room wall? If so, don't miss a Scandinavian 'Cash and Carry' art and design sale on 3 December in Angel in London. ollowing a successful art sale in their studio in Whitechapel, Norwegian illustrator Maria Sletbakk Berge and Swedish printmaker Bess Frimodig, are collaborating with jeweller Michelle Krausz on a Christmas cash and carry sale. [+] Read more

Norwegian choreographer Maria Korsnes will present her latest dance performance at the Blue Elephant Theatre in Camberwell, London 4-6 December. At ‘Soft Cuts’, which is a series of short encounters with international contemporary artists, Korsnes will be choreographing 'Jane Spencer- Pseudological Fantastica'. 
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Two of Norway’s most prominent record labels: Tellé Records and Smalltown Supersound will be presenting New Wine and diskJokke at the Cargo in London on 11 December. Artists playing are diskJokke and his live band and The New Wine as well as Hot Hot Hot DJs (Tellé label founder Mikal Tellé and DJ Asel) and Smalltown`s Joakim Haugland. [+] Read more

The award-winning ‘Novel 11, Book 18’, an uncompromising and concentrated existential novel that accommodates all of Norwegian author Dag Solstad’s fundamental themes, is now published for the first time in the UK. The award-winning novel tells the story of Bjørn Hansen, a respectable town treasurer, who has just turned 50 and is horrified by the thought that chance has ruled his life. [+] Read more

'A Seperate Little War' by Andrew D. Bird is an impressive study of a largely forgotten air campaign involving Scottish and Norwegian troops in WW2. The book has now been printed in a new paperback edition. By recording their crucial contribution to winning the world war, in a compelling, accurate and fascinating way, Bird has ensured their memory will not be overlooked. [+] Read more

Samuel Adamson’s play ’Mrs. Affleck’, inspired by Henrik Ibsen’s ’Little Eyolf’, will be staged at the National Theatre in London from January through April. "There are new characters, a new setting, new themes, new subplots and all sorts of changes including an altered ending, but it remains a play about parenthood, obsessive love and loss," says Adamson. [+] Read more

Let yourself be carried into the Norwegian winter-wilderness with a musical duo performing familiar Christmas carols from their latest album 'Snow'. Snø (Snow) is a Christmas song collaboration by Arne Hiorth (Flugelhorn) and Helge Nysted (Grand Piano). The beautiful music transports listeners into a snowy Norwegian wilderness with perfect note. [+] Read more