From Pastime to World-Class Male Choir

Four-part male choral singing was at the height of its popularity in the mid-nineteenth century, and under the leadership of Oscar Arpi—who also conducted the male choir of Allmänna Sången—Orphei Drängar embraced the tradition from the very beginning. Initially, the choir existed primarily for enjoyment, but when Jacob Axel Josephson took over after only six months, a determined effort began to transform OD into an elite ensemble.

Membership grew, as did the choir’s ambitions. In 1864, OD gave its first concert under its own name, followed by its first Spring Concert in 1870. When Ivar Eggert Hedenblad became conductor in 1880, he inherited an established ensemble that accompanied him on acclaimed concert tours—then known as singing expeditions—throughout Sweden and Europe.

The Alfvén Era

Both Hedenblad and Josephson led OD for remarkably long periods—29 and 26 years respectively. After a brief interim under violinist Wilhelm “Paganini” Lundgren, Hugo Alfvén became conductor in 1910, a position he would hold for 37 years, until 1947.

At the time, the artistic relevance of male choirs was increasingly being questioned. From the outset, Alfvén sought to transform OD from a nineteenth-century tradition into a modern artistic ensemble. Musical precision was sharpened, the repertoire renewed, and the choir’s full dynamic and tonal range explored.

His ambitions proved highly successful. OD reached a new artistic level and firmly established itself as Sweden’s leading male choir. Toward the end of his tenure, however, both the choir and its conductor showed signs of fatigue, and when Alfvén handed over to his deputy conductor Carl Godin in 1947, renewal was needed.

Godin worked actively to expand the repertoire, but the choir experienced a period of decline. Fortunately, a remarkable new chapter was just around the corner.

The Eric Ericson Years

In 1951, Eric Ericson became OD’s new conductor.

Ericson would become the defining figure of Swedish choral music throughout the second half of the twentieth century and played a central role in what became known internationally as the Swedish Choral Miracle. Under his leadership, including a landmark six-week tour of the United States in 1970, OD was consolidated and elevated to entirely new artistic heights.

In 1962, OD introduced Caprice, an innovative concert format that blends humour with serious music and features surprise guest artists. The concept reflected the choir’s original spirit of singing for enjoyment while becoming an immediate audience success. Caprice also significantly strengthened the choir’s financial stability.

Improved finances during the 1960s and 1970s enabled OD to begin commissioning new works for male choir—a tradition that continues today. Deputy conductor Robert Sund also travelled extensively throughout Eastern Europe, uncovering remarkable repertoire in archives, libraries, and antiquarian bookshops. These discoveries helped build what is today the world’s largest library dedicated to male choral music.

Robert Sund and a New International Era

Eric Ericson stepped down in 1991, ending an extraordinary 40-year tenure—surpassing even Hugo Alfvén’s record.

Robert Sund, who had shared the artistic leadership with Ericson since 1985, continued to lead OD through an exceptionally active period of concerts, international tours, recordings, and television appearances. His international reputation opened new opportunities, and OD increasingly collaborated with leading orchestras, including a celebrated performance at the Royal Albert Hall with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra in 1997.

Other memorable moments from the 1990s include OD’s surprise appearance disguised as singing waiters during the 1993 Nobel Banquet, and the music video for The Singing Apes, which aired on MTV.

Like several of his predecessors, Robert Sund also contributed original compositions and arrangements, many of which remain an important part of OD’s repertoire today.

A New Chapter with Cecilia Rydinger Alin

In 2008, Robert Sund concluded 23 years as conductor—and an extraordinary 43 years as a member of OD. He was succeeded by Cecilia Rydinger Alin, whose distinguished career, leading role in Swedish musical life, and deep connection to Uppsala’s choral tradition made her a natural choice.

Under her leadership, OD has continued to expand its concert activities, explore new repertoire, and collaborate with internationally renowned soloists, ensembles, and guest conductors. Together with vocal coach Lars Johansson Brissman and deputy conductor Folke Alin, she preserves the choir’s rich heritage while continually refining its unique sound and artistic expression.

Demand for OD remains high, both in Sweden and internationally. Among recent highlights, the choir appears on two tracks from Peter Gabriel’s 2023 album and was invited to perform Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 13, Babi Yar in Japan in 2024.