Midnight Concert

MS Spitsbergen was docked in Tromsø for slightly less than two hours. We spent one and a half of those hours travelling to and listening to a "Midnight Concert in the Arctic Cathedral". We also had to spend 15 minutes waiting while the crew fought to lower a faulty gangway.

The concert was amazing but we didn't understand a word. The songs were in Sami, Norwegian and Swedish. There were three performers: a cellist, a pianist and a soprano. The first three performances were from behind our backs, where the keyboardist performed a solo on the pipe organ. The next song began as the soprano walked up the aisle to the front. The was no sound magnification and the acoustics were incredible. She was soon joined by the cellist and the pianist (who now sat at a piano).

Each did some solo work and each was very talented. Together they were very compelling.

The final two songs were O Holy Night, and Brahm's Lullaby. Finally I could at least hum along.

Unfortunately we were asked not to take any pictures during the concert.

Catriona enjoying the lights of Tromsø

The Arctic Cathedral

One of the largest glass mosaic windows in the world (with no backlighting)

The outside surfaces are textured so that the snow sticks. It looks like snow.