Det norske jentekor: The Beauty That Still Remains

‘I had an occasional flash of understanding, but then got selfishly wrapped up again in my own problems and pleasures,’ is a quote from Anne Frank’s diary, the book on which Marcus Paus’ ‘The Beauty That Still Remains’ for solo accordion and girls choir is based. These are thoughts we must all take heed of, confronting injustice that does not strike directly at ourselves. This recording represents a deep musical engagement with such universal values as empathy and faith in the good that is in every person. Maja S.K. Ratkje’s ‘Asylos’ deals with the contradictions of inclusion and exclusion, and points up the connection between the pilgrims of the past and the asylum seekers of our time. The Norwegian Girls Choir addresses the theme of the inviolability of human dignity. The music by Marcus Paus and Maja S.K. Ratkje frames, in contrasting ways, the power that humanity and hope carry with them even amid the most intense horror, and through testimonies of the past these works tell us how relevant these topics still are.