Cheer and rejoice
Our next church concert on 3 January 2026 at 6.15 p.m. in the Church St. Jacob, Klosters, will see in the New Year with great enthusiasm and confidence. Soprano Jenny Högström, violinist Ilva Eigus and trumpeters Immanuel Richter and Simon Gabriel will enrich Kay Johannsen’s organ playing.
“I do sometimes miss Swedish Christmas music.”
Jenny Högström will be performing as a soprano at the New Year’s Concert on 3 January. Georg Rudiger asked the Swedish singer, who lives in Basel, a few questions.
You will be singing two works by Johann Sebastian Bach at the church concert in Klosters on 3 January 2026. What do you like about this composer?
What fascinates me most about Johann Sebastian Bach is the connection between musical complexity and spirituality. His music challenges me as a singer, both technically and interpretatively. For me, every phrase has its own colour that touches me in new ways every time.
After your training in Sweden, you studied historical performance practice at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel and are considered a specialist in Baroque music. What do you do differently when it comes to Johann Sebastian Bach’s music, compared to a singer who has not had this training?
I pay particular attention to stylistic issues such as articulation, ornamentation and phrasing, which are part of Bach’s music. My use of vibrato and timbre is also more conscious and often more nuanced. Overall, I want to give the music the transparency and liveliness that corresponds to the Baroque ideal of sound.
The aria “Erbarme Dich” (Have Pity, Lord, On Me) is one of the emotional highlights of the St Matthew Passion. What does the aria mean to you?
For me, “Erbarme Dich” (Have Pity, Lord, On Me) is an expression of a special intimacy. Although this aria is actually written for alto, there are good artistic reasons for singing it as a soprano.
In addition to the singing, the solo violin, which also plays the introduction and the finale, is important in this aria. Do you know Ilva Eigus, who will be taking on this part?
For me, the violin plays a crucial emotional role in this aria. It brings light and hope to the sound, but also touches on the melancholy that lies within this musical theme. Ilva Eigus and I don’t know each other yet, but I am very excited to be working with her.
Bach’s solo cantata for soprano “Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen” (Shout for Joy to God in All Lands) is a highly virtuoso work with many coloraturas in the soprano voice. What do you like about it?
This cantata is one of the most radiant works Bach wrote for solo soprano. Despite the technical challenges, I find the music incredibly physical and liberating.
The solo trumpet and solo violin also have significant parts here and enter into dialogue with the singing voice. What does that mean for your interpretation?
The trumpet brings a radiant, festive dimension, whereas the violin often has a more intimate and agile line. I think the triad between the singing voice and the two instruments lends liveliness and flexibility. The musical conversation not only requires me to sing beautifully, but also to listen actively and respond to what the other soloists are doing.
You also sing in several professional choirs, including the La Cetra Vocal Ensemble and the Zürcher Sing-Akademie. Is every soloist also a good choir singer?
That’s not always the case. There are very good solo singers who have almost never sung in a choir. Perhaps what they lack most is the experience of blending into a vocal group and creating a common sound. I really enjoy making music together with other singers.
You come from Sweden and lived there until you completed your master’s degree. How do people celebrate Christmas in Sweden?
Christmas is celebrated in slightly different ways in Switzerland and in Sweden. In Sweden, the most important holiday is on 24 December. On 13 December, we also celebrate Saint Lucia. As a child and teenager, this was always a very special day for me, when we would walk through the town and schools singing and carrying candles. I do sometimes miss Swedish Christmas music and the snow-covered forests in December in particular. Now that I have children of my own, we spend every other Christmas with my family in Sweden.
Are there any special New Year traditions?
When we were children, we always melted tin over the fire at my grandparents’ house on New Year’s Eve and then poured it into a pot of cold water. This created tin figures, which we tried to interpret to find out what the new year might bring. Nowadays, I always celebrate New Year’s Eve with family and friends, and every New Year’s Eve is a little different. I think that’s also really lovely.