Knut Reiersrud, Iver Kleive og Povl Dissing - Den signede dag

Man first, Christianity second: Jesus did not come to christianize people, but to make them whole human beings, was Grundtvig’s firm belief.

“Den signede dag” is based on the poetry of Danish priest and poet N.F.S. Grundtvig (1783 – 1872). Grundtvig wrote some thousand songs and psalms, and Dissing, Kleive and Reiersrud have selected gems from this rich treasure chest.

When Erik Hillestad from Kirkelig Kulturverksted challenged Dissing to sing Grundtvig’s songs together with two of Norway’s most distinctive musicians, Dissing calmly replied: “ I cannot disclaim my Grundtvig”. It meant yes, and the recording project was under way. By the end of August, Povl Dissing, Iver Kleive and Knut Reiersrud met in the Cathedral of Odense in Denmark to record “Den signede dag”.

“Den signede dag” just had to be recorded”, states producer Erik Hillestad. “Grundtvig did in Denmark what nobody did in Norway; he christianized the population in a human way. In Norway, God gave this assignment to Hans Nilsen Hauge. That turned out to be a painful process,” says Hillestad.

The selection of Grundtvig on this recording is definitely music and poetry for the whole human being.