The Norwegian Mission Society presents:
A joint prayer for peace – Peace Concert with SKRUK, Lova and the Royal Norwegian Navy Band
SKRUK, led by conductor Per Oddvar Hildre, has throughout its more than 50-year history created friendships and musical collaborations across borders and cultures.
When they travelled to Madagascar during Easter 2024, it was both to meet the military choir Lova – with whom they have collaborated several times before – and to further strengthen friendships on the island. The result of this work was the album A Joint Prayer for Peace, released in 2025.
Now, the military choir Lova is returning to Norway, and they will meet both SKRUK and one of Norway’s professional military ensembles: the Royal Norwegian Navy Band. The band masters a wide range of genres – wind band repertoire, classical music, jazz, pop, and not least contemporary music. They have distinguished themselves especially within classical contemporary music, with several critically acclaimed releases, concerts, and festival appearances. The Royal Norwegian Navy Band is conducted by Peter Szilvay.
In these turbulent times, what speaks more powerfully than a “peace choir” and two military ensembles with widely different musical expressions coming together – and bringing us together – in a shared prayer for peace.
The artistic director of the concert is Anders Rønningen (composer, former missionary to Madagascar and also a member of SKRUK), who has composed and arranged much of the music, including the final piece – a brand new hymn titled Let Peace Be Free!, with lyrics by Erik Hillestad