The Boys Choir of Roskilde Cathedral

The Boys Choir of Roskilde Cathedral is one of the best choirs in Denmark with over 50 boys and young men in the age of 10-35 years. The choir was established in 1987 and debuted on Good Friday the same year with a performance of St. Matthew Passion by Heinrich Schütz. The choir is an important part of the musical life in Roskilde Cathedral, where the boys and men rehearse several times during the week and attend at various services in the church. The choir has since the establishment had a special focus on Gregorian chants, European renaissance music and not least the tradition of Danish and Scandinavian song tradition and choir works. The members of the choir have a special social bond, which have been built through the years of rehearsals, services, concerts and their travels around the world. Previous destinations include Greenland, Canada, USA, France, Germany and New Zealand. Travelling as a choir is essential for the continuous musical and social improvement of the choir, as well as representing the musical heritage of Denmark. 

The Cathedral of Roskilde is appointed UNESCO World Heritage, being one of the first gothic cathedrals in the North, build around the year 1200. The cathedral is also the burial place of the Danish Royal Family through hundreds of years. The unique character of the building, the history and art of this special place, as well as the famous historic Raphaëlis organ contributes to the historic consciousness when making music and working within the cathedral. 

The Boys Choir of Roskilde Cathedral has released four CD’s, two of them with the prestigious British ensemble Gabrieli Consort & Players, and two CD’s with Danish psalms and songs. The choir is often used in projects outside of the church, such as singing on national TV for various occasions, participating in opera performances and of course concerts in the local community.

The conductor

Egil Kolind (b. 1989) is Danish conductor and composer, educated from Musikhögskolan in Malmö, Sweden and from Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf, Germany. Before Egil Kolind joined as cantor of the Boys Choir in Roskilde Cathedral, he was the conductor of the Boys Choir in Lund Cathedral in Sweden, and he bears on the historic tradition of Scandinavian folk songs and choir tradition. 

“When you sing in a Boys Choir, you get to experience great things and build social bonds for life, through the music. I have sung as a soprano in Copenhagen Boys Choir as a little boy, and I have felt how you can experience this joy of music, even at a young age, as well as the particular sense of responsibility, when you sing a concert.” – Egil Kolind 

Besides Egil Kolind’s work with the Boys Choir in Roskilde, he is the conductor of a semi-professional chamber choir in Copenhagen – Gråbrødre Kammerkor. Egil Kolind also develops educational material for sight singing and ear training, which contributes to the essential musical education of the singers. As a composer, Egil Kolind premiered his first opera in 2018 for Höör’s Summer Opera in Sweden and writes various works for his two choirs.

Find contact information here.