Eit dobbelt privilegium – mål og meining i eit uvanleg bygdekor

The combination of local choir and composer of free tonal music is rather unusual, but in Volda the longstanding relationship between composer Magnar Åm and the choir he conducts, Volda Vokal, is rewarding both for himself and for the choir members. Existing research has contextualized the amateur choir as a community of practice dynamically balancing social and artistic goals, with professional performance as a guiding ideal. However, the amateur performance may potentially hold other qualities that can bring new meaning to the music performed. In this article I write about how various participants in Volda Vokal perceive the interaction of artistic and social aspects, and how the work of rehearsing and performing Åm’s music can be understood in terms of various meanings of authenticity.