Event info

Welcome to a concert of Advent-spirit and solemnity in Hallgrímskirkja church, where organist Tómas Guðni Eggertsson and pianist Davíð Þór Jónsson offer insight into the Advent and Christmas chorale preludes of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). The preludes stem from The Little Organ Book (Orgelbüchlein), edited for publication by Felix Mendelssohn in the early 19th century. Bach‘s preludes echo well-known Christmas hymns, such as In dulci jubilo, Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her, and Puer natus est in Bethlehem, plus others.

Here, the great master‘s gems are performed in a somewhat novel fashion, developed in recent years by the two friends and performers Tómas Guðni, who plays the chorale preludes on the Klais-organ, and Davíð Þór, who improvises around and responds to Bach‘s work on the grand piano. The organ‘s registration is also altered – but with respect to, and in accordance with, the core of the originals.

The title of the concert is a word-play that combines traditional baking and listening to Bach, two essential parts of Christmas preparations in Iceland and beyond. Listeners are invited to join the performers on an unexpected journey through the field of the traditional.

Tickets are available at the door and tix.is

Ticket price is 2000 ISK, free for children 16 years and younger.

About the musicians:

Tómas Guðni Eggertsson (b. 1974) studied the piano at the New Music School in Reykjavík and graduated in 1996. He then studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, receiving a BA degree in 1999 and finishing his postgraduate studies the following year. Tómas enrolled at the National Church School of Music in Reykjavík in 2003, receiving a performer‘s diploma in 2007 and a cantor‘s degree in 2008. His main teacher was Björn Steinar Sólbergsson. Tómas is the organist and music director of Seljakirkja in Reykjavík, and regularly collaborates with musicians from various sectors, such as clarinetist Dimitri Thor Ashkenazy, bass-baritone Ólafur Sigurdarson, multi-musician David Thor Jónsson and guitarist Peter Valgard Peterson. Tómas's most recent theatre performance is Die Schöne Müllerin with tenor Sven Hjörleifsson.

Pianist, musician and composer Davíð Þór Jónsson is a wildly versatile and creative artist with a special passion for improvisation. Davíð Þór has performed in a number of ensembles as well as collaborating with many of Iceland’s foremost musicians, movie directors and artists - as instrumentalist, composer,
conductor, arranger and producer. Davíð has received numerous awards for his music, including both the Icelandic Music Prize and the Icelandic Theatre Prize as well as international awards for his original soundtrack for Of Horses and men.

Davíð"s performances, improvisation and composition meet effortlessly as a creation of musical ideas and sounds. He is driven by the general passion behind creation of things, in what way they are presented and passed on to people - in music, arts and life in general. His goal in music is to never stop the childlike enthusiasm and constant creativity.