The name says it all, because two ensembles could hardly be further apart. On one side there is a Big Band, sixteen musicians whose core skills do not necessarily include playing softly, and on the other there are six female singers, whose greatest strength lies in their control of the finest nuances. There are, however, unifying elements — the search for new shores, for sounds and structures that have never been heard before, and the joy of experimenting. These elements form the common thread that runs through Jan Schreiner’s compositions.

Sjaella is the vocal ensemble of the moment to discover! Six talented and effervescent female singers who are not afraid of anything and demonstrate as much in a programme entitled Origins, ranging from seventieth-century repertory to contemporary pieces. Out of the ether, into existence. The initial point. The beginning. The ever-recurring origin. Between minimalism and picturesque arias arise light, time, and all life.