On Full Wing

Let yourself be swept up in the currents of a musical flight with the Swedish Chamber Choir and violinist Ava Bahari!

It’s no coincidence that birds hold such a central place in poetry and music—they sing and they can fly, just as music longs to do. In Lars-Erik Larsson’s No Bird Soars Too High, there is a promise of unrestrained freedom, renewal, and life. In Caroline Shaw’s beautifully floating and the swallow, the small, everyday bird becomes a bearer of something greater—perhaps the soul’s restlessness, perhaps the hope of returning home.

The highlight of the concert is Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending, where, together with internationally acclaimed violinist and Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra Artist in Residence Ava Bahari, we unfurl our most radiant plumage and soar into the skylark’s shimmering song.

The nightingale sings in Felix Mendelssohn’s Die Nachtigall, and in Edward Cowie’s playful Lyrebird, an entire aviary bursts forth with Australian lyrebirds, famed for their extraordinary ability to imitate other species. What makes Lyrebird so fascinating is not only the abundance of birdsong, but how Cowie blurs the boundary between nature and composition. Is this birdsong becoming music—or music revealing that birdsong is already composition?

But not everything that flies is a bird. In Eric Whitacre’s Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine, humans, machines, and doves flutter through a brilliantly organized chaos, as Leonardo da Vinci—through Latin, whispers, and sheer optimism—realizes his wildest dream.

Come and fly with us!

June 5 2026 at 7pm – Västerlanda Kyrka Lilla Edet
June 6 2026 at 6pm – Valla kyrka Tjörn
June 7 2026 at 7pm – World of Volvo Göteborg