And I gave my heart

It is a great pleasure that OUR Recordings is releasing this exceptional album that has been on its way for 10 years, a tribute to organist Jens E. Christensen. When one imagines the sound of a magisterial bass voice accompanied by a pipe organ, one cannot help but imagine a glorious Vox Dei proclaiming eternal truths from the numinous beyond. In this extraordinary recital by Danish-Spanish organist and composer and acclaimed Danish bass-baritone Jakob Bloch Jespersen, however, Eros and Agape are twined and intertwined.

Three profoundly contrasting song cycles by outstanding Danish composers explore this unique sound world. The late Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen is represented by what may well be his musical Last Will and Testament: a set of transcriptions from his opera Sun Rises, Sun Sets, based on the biblical Song of Solomon. The late Bent Lorentzen, one of the key figures and pioneers of early Danish electronic music, explored themes of love, sensual and divine, in a manner at times reminiscent of a Nordic Messiaen in his song cycle Erotic Hymns. The recital concludes with Nicolai Worsaae’s emotionally and sonically devastating theatre piece for bass voice and organ, A Shipwreck.

This work explores themes of life, death, and resurrection, pushing the magnificent organ at Our Saviour’s Church (Vor Frelsers Kirke), Copenhagen, to its expressive limits. The performance is captured with striking immediacy by one of Denmark’s most celebrated recording engineers, Preben Iwan. A MUST-HEAR for vocal and organ aficionados!

Bass-baritone Jakob Bloch Jespersen trained at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, debuting in 2002 at the Royal Danish Theatre. A highly sought-after concert and opera singer across Europe, his repertoire spans Baroque to contemporary music, with a special focus on Buxtehude and Bach. He is an award-winning artist and an active lecturer at leading Danish music academies. On this album Jacob is playing all the percussion instruments while singing. Danish-Spanish organist and composer Peter Navarro-Alonso studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Music and the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid. He has given over 400 recitals across Europe and the US, focusing on contemporary music and premiering around 100 commissioned works. Since 2021, he has served as organist at Our Saviour’s Church in Copenhagen.

Jakob Bloch Jespersen – organ, vocals