Hi! Hej! Hei! Halló!
Jag heter Amy och jag är 12 år gammal. Jag bor i York. Det här är min berättelse om att lyssna på en kör från Sverige.
My name is Amy and I am 12 years old. I live in York. This is my story about when I met a choir from Sweden.
I am one of the young family members of the York Anglo-Scandinavian Society (YASS). I was very excited to therefore get a special ticket to the annual Lucia service at York Minster. It’s really hard to get a ticket – they “sell out” within a few hours – and YASS members get to sit near the front – so I could see as well as hear the choir. I even got to be a steward and help out at the start and end of the service, wearing a special lanyard.
Did you know that York’s Minster is the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe which means it’s very big and very special? At the moment it has lots of Christmas trees inside as part of a special festival – I think I counted 60 trees, but I think that there were some that I missed.
The Minster has lots of events throughout the year but once a year, for several years now, it has hosted a special Scandinavian Christmas service in partnership with YASS called Santkta Lucia or St Lucy. The service involves singing special songs and everyone in the choir holds a candle. This year’s choir came all the way from Sweden.
It was really magical when they turned the lights off in the Minster so that there was just the glow of the candles and the lights on two big Christmas trees. Lots of people gasped and some even started to cry because it was so beautiful. I think it reminded some of them of home and when they were my age growing up in Scandinavia.
Lucia also wears a crown with real candles on it – I think there were seven - I was a bit worried that her hair might catch on fire! It’s really impressive that Lucia could stand and sing with a crown of burning candles for about an hour.
I couldn’t understand the words in some of the songs because they were in Swedish, but the melodies were so beautiful and the sound in the Minster is magnificent. Some of the songs reminded me a bit of the film Frozen, which was one of my favourites when I was little.
I wasn’t allowed to take pictures, so you’ll have to try to see it for yourself next year. If you can’t wait the service was streamed on the York Minster Official YouTube channel so you can see it there.
I watched some back so I could find myself in the audience – right near the front surrounded by some of my new YASS friends!
Perhaps I will see you next time?
Author: Amy Sinar
Photos of the choir: Caroline Key