Light and music create a magical farewell evening

Simple. But powerfully. 

The afternoon began in a dreamy calm.

Simple. But powerfully. 

The afternoon began in a dreamy calm.

The lights on the stage behind orchestra and singers were simple but effective and gave the hall a magical, almost hypnotic mood.

The farewell concert, organized by partner of 17 years, Jim Milne, also took place on the occasion of Josef Josefsen's 45th birthday, when he wanted to give a last concert as one gift and expression of gratitude to the audience.

Even Joseph had Lund Josefsen was so busy leading up to the concert that he didn't have time to notice his friends emotions before he stood on stage.

- When I went on scene, the emotions suddenly burst into me. The concerts, the courses... that set my cry in my throat. When I was on stage with Jim (Milne, ed.), it went for it really bothered me that it was my last concert, says Josef Lund Josefsen.

It is in part his own decision to leave the world of music. But he emphasizes that there otherwise his work is still needed, both musically and as a teacher.

Unfortunately, he can very literally feel that support for his activities has fallen through them later years.

- For mine concerned, my livelihood as a professional singer is therefore over. It is has simply become too hard as there are fewer and fewer concerts workshops, he explains.

He now has something something else up his sleeve that he can't get into yet. But it will be one quite ordinary job, where he does not have to go out and apply for money himself to earn for the day and the road.

- I need something completely different. It has nothing to do with singing or teaching. That's something completely new to me. It's exciting, he says thoughtfully and concludes thoughts:

- It's now once my decision, so it will be.

He has a few workshops and concerts up to Christmas, but from there he changes tracks.

On a hanging hair

The farewell concert repertoire was wide and varied, with Greenlandic songs, Italian songs, English songs and pop classics that featured Josef Lund Josefsens versatility.

Pianist Jim Milne, with his natural touch with the audience, led the small orchestra, consisting of Fabrizio Barzanti on bass, Jonas Lundsgaard Nilsson on drums, Hanne Sanndvig Imannuelsen on violin, Najannguaq Qvist also on violin, Tobias Van Der Pals on cello and Titken Jakobsen on tenor saxophone, with a sure hand, and that was it it was clear that both musicians and audience enjoyed the interaction.

Josef Lund Josefsen and Jim Milne had also filled the concert with celebrities. Singers who Josef himself looks up to. Pernille Kreutzmann-Larsen, Nick Poulsen, Arnarissoq Beck Vetterlain and Inunnguaq Petrussen, were also invited on stage in the cultural center Katuaq in Nuuk.

The descending one support, which he talked about earlier, he sees very clearly and most noticeably in relationship with fund funds and customers. It has simply become far too difficult to provide the necessary funds for both concerts and workshops.

Josef Lund Josefsen has dedicated the last 17 years of his life to creating his workshops and concerts from scratch.

- If I have to do concerts or if I have to be in charge of a workshop, I have to find out myself all means to hold it all. Search with foundations and municipalities. If it is for workshops, then find out who will buy my teaching, who will work with me. Prepare travel plans if it is on the coast. Budgets. I have made every arrangement from scratch myself, in order to be able to get it up and running at the same time cover my expenses, explains Josef Lund Josefsen and goes the extra mile clear with an example: his farewell concert. It just wasn't coming into being something.

- It cost almost DKK 400,000. It was just before the funds did not come home. Just three days before the concert, however, managed to close all financial gaps. I had otherwise considered whether we should just cancel. Or postpone. But of logistical reasons, it was also not an option to postpone it, he says.

He is a lot grateful to Tips and Lotto, who have stuck with the support until the end to him. There have also been helpful private companies that always have stood ready to support his various projects, such as Matas, ILJ ENTREPRISE and Ittu.net. He emphasizes that throughout his 17 professional years as a singer, has experienced support from many companies.

- I am really grateful for. If it wasn't for them, my Christmas album would or Easter album have not come to fruition, he says.

The missing he has felt support from, for example, the Greenland Art Foundation, which from its own descriptions have the option of providing grants to trained artists.

- I have applied every year for the last five years, but I have never received a positive response, says Josef Lund Josefsen, trained opera singer from Iceland.

New chapter

To the farewell concert, Josef Lund Josefsen had two nieces, Arnakkuluk and Arnannguaq aged eight and 12, respectively, on stage. They sang together with their uncle and Arnarissoq Beck Vetterlain Abba song, Slipping Through My Fingers. The microphone at one of the girls started to howl, but it didn't knock them out. They took it in stride arm and sang with beautiful voices.

- Akkaanngua (uncle, ed.), we would like to give a concert again before Christmas, they said to theirs uncle afterwards.

He had to laughingly explain to them that it is not just like that. That there are several months preparation for a concert. Josef laughs.

If he felt that the support for him and his projects was not decreasing, he is sure that he wanted to continue his musical career, but now that the decision has been made and he is about to turn a new chapter of his life, then he rejoices.

- But I want to always be available to new singers who seek advice and guidance, states he.

The experiences

When you have been "on the road" for so many years, it goes without saying that Josef Lund Josefsen has had many different experiences on his way. He has received many thanks after a concert, but there are still some experiences that stick.

- Jim and I gave concert at Patienthjemmet in Copenhagen. In front sat an elderly looking couple to be in the 70s. I remember like it was yesterday that we had to sing "Qaammarpoq nuna". Jim's prelude on the piano is never very recognizable until I starts singing. The woman's husband began to cry uncontrollably when he recognized the song. He sobbed. His whole body shook as he wife took his put her arm around him and did her best to comfort him.

Josef is moved to tears eyes at the memory and takes a sip of water.

- It was one very moving experience. To a degree where I myself had to hold my emotions back, he says.

Josef remembers one second episode. This time he was in Qaqortoq and sang "Ataatarpooq". There was one in the front row, who burst into a heart-wrenching cry and began to cry.

- I had to also swallow my cry, which was stuck in my throat, he says.

When he thinks back on his musical career, he absolutely cannot avoid Jim Milne, for whom he has nothing but great praise.

- He has one university degree in piano playing and has proof of composing. He just has to have a key, then can play. He needs no sheet music.

- When I was during training, the classically trained pianists still had to use sheet music for to play. In addition, Jim is really good at interpreting what a song is saying from verse to verse. So I usually tell him what each verse says. He is really good at that. I have worked with several different ones pianists, but none come close to Jim, he states.

- In addition, After all, he's just a nice person who's easy to talk to and we have a giant love for each other, as partners, friends and people, he says.

The contact the two has not stopped "just" because Josef now puts the music on the shelf.

The one hypnotizing good closing concert is at the end of the road. Attendant goes out further in life, after an hour and a half, when the problems of life could be put aside and just enjoy the moment.