The Reykjavik City Library Christmas Song Competition 2023
Last Christmas, in 2022, the City Library held a Christmas song competition for the very first time. Since it was successful, we have decided to make the Reykjavík City Library Christmas Song Competition an annual event, open for everyone.
The songs should be original songs in digital format. The songs may be with or without lyrics, in Icelandic or any other language. The preferred song length is approximately three minutes.
We encourage everyone who wants to participate to book an appointment in our fully equipped studio here. Note that it is NOT necessary to record in our studio in order to participate.
Currently appointments at the studio are available for booking on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 3-5 pm and 5-7 pm. Our trusty sound engineer, Haraldur Ernir, will be there to assist you. You can also book the studio for practising on Thursdays and Fridays here between 3-6 pm.
The deadline to submit a Christmas song is Friday, December 1st at 11.59 pm.
Songs should be submitted as a WeTransfer-link to the e-mail address: ulfarsa@borgarbokasafn.is along with contact information, i.e. name, mobile number and e-mail.
Jury
The songs will go under review by a jury that chooses the best song.
The jury consists of three companions of the library. First of all we have Hildur Björgvinsdóttir, project manager at the Communications and Innovation Department of the City Library. Hildur has many talents, she learned how to play the piano as a child and made an old dream come true by starting the cello in her early twenties. She has also sung in choirs and loves going to good concerts.
Secondly we have Þorgrímur Þorsteinsson, a specialist at the City Library in Úlfarsárdalur, and one of the two sound engineers in charge of the recording studio there. Þorgrímur has a broad musical background rooted both in jazz guitar playing and a Bachelor degree in Creative Music Communications from the Iceland University of the Arts. Þorgrímur went on to complete further studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen and graduated from RDAM Tonmeister department in 2020.
Last but not least, Jón Ólafsson, chairman of the jury, who is well known to Icelanders for his work in music and the media. Jón is a member of the band Nýdönsk, and has written quite a few songs that are widely popular in Iceland. Furthermore he hosts a radio show on Rás 2 and works as the executive director of the Association of Composers and Lyricists in Iceland.
The award ceremony will take place on Friday, December 8th at 4 pm in Úlfarsárdalur.
The author of the Reykjavík City Library's Christmas Song 2023 will have the chance to fully finish the song with the help of a sound engineer in the Reykjavík City Library's recording studio.Join the competition and let your Christmas light shine bright!
The award ceremony - Event on website.
The awards ceremony - Event on Facebook.
Reykjavík City Library’s 2022 Christmas Song
Last year's winning song was an extremely beautiful Christmas ballad, Christmas is my Favorite Time of the Year, written by 17-year-old Ximena Díaz who lives in Madrid!
You can read more about Ximena and listen to her song here.
Further information:
Stella Sif Jónsdóttir | Events
stella.sif.jonsdottir@reykjavik.is | 411 6270