Event info

On the 25th of September, there will be a collection concert in Hallgrímskirkja under the title "Sounds from the Arctic Circle" where great Northern singers and musicians will perform. They are organist Eyþór Ingi Jónsson and singers Ívar Helgason, Jónas Þór Jónasson, Kristjana Arngrímsdóttir, Óskar Pétursson and Ösp Eldjárn. They previously organized such a collection concert in Akureyri Church for Miðgarðs Church in Grímsey. 

The congregational committee of Hallgrímskirkja has taken the lead in collecting for new church bells in Miðgarðarkirkja, which is being built in Grímsey.

Grímsey is a small island, 40 kilometres (20 nautical miles) off the north coast of Iceland, straddling the Arctic Circle.

The church in Grímsey burned to the ground on the evening of September 21, 2021. The two bronze church bells in Miðgarðskirkja melted in the fire so that nothing was left intact except for the iron bells. In the fall after the fire, Hallgrímskirkja collected money during three masses for the construction of a church in Grímsey. There is a special connection between the two churches because, among other things, Grétar Einarsson, the head church warden, is the son of Einar Einarsson, an artist who was a deacon in Grímsey for about six years and made a big impression with his works on Miðgarðs Church during the 14 years he lived on the island. Later, it was decided to give the church new clocks replacing the ones that melted, and it is therefore a unique story. With this initiative, the congregation of Hallgríms Church together with friends of the church is symbolically reciprocating a gift that was given to Hallgrímskirkja half a century ago in the name of Grímsey.

In addition, organist Björn Steinar Sólbergsson, choir director Steinar Logi Helgason and the Hallgrímskirkja Choir will take part in the concert.