Icelandic rockers Sigur Ros performing with S’pore orchestra Resound Collective at upcoming shows
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Icelandic band Sigur Ros comprise (left to right) Kjartan Sveinsson, Jonsi Birgisson and Georg Holm.
PHOTO: TIM DUNK
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SINGAPORE – Icelandic rockers Sigur Ros have played in Singapore several times, but their upcoming shows at the Esplanade Theatre on Feb 25 and 26 will have a local twist.
The post-rock band, famous for making ethereal music that is a melange of rock, ambient and neo-classical, will be performing with home-grown orchestra Resound Collective.
The concerts are part of Sigur Ros’ global 30th anniversary tour, for which they will perform grand orchestral rearrangements of their songs in collaboration with local orchestras. Besides Singapore, the Asian leg of the tour includes stops in Japan and Taiwan.
Sigur Ros bassist Georg Holm tells The Straits Times in a Zoom interview in November: “It’s been so much fun going to different cities and playing with local orchestras, because each has something different and each adds something to our music. That is unexpected to us, and it’s always very exciting to get to play with new orchestras everywhere.”
The band also comprise singer and multi-instrumentalist Jonsi Birgisson, 49, and multi-instrumentalist Kjartan Sveinsson, 47.
Holm, 48, says the trio rehearse with the local orchestras only a day before or on the morning of a show.
He adds that he is in awe of the classical musicians whom they have been working alongside. “It’s a privilege to be able to play with all these people who are so professional that you know a band can just show up on the day, and they just nail it every single time.”
The mood is also far from sombre, he says. He recalls a show in Germany in which he struggled with a guitar that was “so out of tune (he could not) save it”.
“But it was just such a funny moment and in the audience, everyone was smiling and laughing. And it’s great to have these little moments. When you have this band, and you have 42 people on stage – an orchestra – it’s supposed to be so serious, but instead you have these silly moments.”
Sigur Ros’ upcoming shows will include songs from their latest album Atta (2023), as well as older material.
They performed in Singapore in 2012, 2016 and most recently in 2022 at The Star Theatre, a gig that was one of the first major rock concerts to take place here after Covid-19 restrictions were lifted.
Holm says: “I could almost say I know my way around Singapore. I probably don’t, but I definitely very much enjoy being in Singapore, and I look forward to going back.”
Mr Mervin Beng, chairman of Resound Collective, says there is a great sense of anticipation, with 42 of its over 60 musicians being selected to participate.
The musicians in Singapore-based classical collective Resound Collective are excited about performing with Sigur Ros.
PHOTO: JONATHAN HO
“As a diverse collective of musicians, we have always been open and interested in collaborations that are artistically interesting, and to join Sigur Ros on stage in an orchestral concert is definitely one of the most intriguing projects we have undertaken to date.”
Resound Collective, which debuted in 2016, is made up of professional musicians with careers in music performance, teaching and arts administration.
They stage three to four concerts annually, and have collaborated with overseas performers. These include the Nidaros Cathedral Men And Boys’ Choir from Norway in 2017; British-Australian classical pianist, composer and writer Stephen Hough in 2022; and Netherlands Symphony Orchestra concertmaster and violinist Carla Leurs in 2024.
Mr Beng says: “For us, the main preparation has been to identify the best musicians for this project. We know which of them are eager, even hungry, to work on a show like this, so our priority has been to hire the right team.”
He adds there are also many regulars of Resound Collective’s performances who know about Sigur Ros and have bought tickets for the shows.
Formed in 1994, Sigur Ros have released eight studio albums and five EPs. They are among the most globally successful music acts from Iceland.
Sung in Icelandic, as well as a made-up language dubbed “Hopelandic”, their music has been used in many soundtracks over the years. These include those for Hollywood films such as Vanilla Sky (2001) and The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004), as well as television series like period fantasy epic Game Of Thrones (2011 to 2019).
Birgisson, Holm and Sveinsson also made cameos as a wedding band in a 2014 episode of Game Of Thrones, and as themselves in a 2013 episode of animated series The Simpsons (1989 to present).
Book it/Sigur Ros With Resound Collective
Where: Esplanade Theatre, 1 Esplanade Drive str.sg/fz5D
When: Feb 25 and 26, 7.30pm
Admission: $128 to $258 from Ticketmaster (go to
