Photo: Kristian Dugstad/TONO
– Christmas is the music holiday, and almost half of us have "Deilig er jorden" as our favorite in the Christmas repertoire, says Willy Martinsen in TONO.
/ 19/12/2024 / Willy MartinsenOn behalf of TONO, the market analysis company Respons has asked a representative sample of Norwegians which songs are their favorites among Norwegian Christmas carols and others that have been translated and adapted into Norwegian, and which are part of the Norwegian Christmas repertoire.
-"Deilig er Jorden" originally has Danish lyrics, but the Norwegian version tops the list of Norwegians' favorites in the Norwegian Christmas repertoire. Almost half, 45 percent of us, mention this as a favorite. This is followed by "En stjerne skinner i natt" and "Himmel på jord", says Willy Martinsen, communications director at TONO.
"Deilig er Jorden", which is also sung in contexts other than Christmas, scores highly across the country and in all age groups. But Norwegians' taste in Christmas songs is also influenced by where they come from:
– Local patriotism comes into play when Norwegians choose their favorite Christmas songs. Good lyricists touch people's hearts, and if the lyricist also comes from the same area as you, chances are good that you will have an extra close relationship with that particular Christmas song, says Martinsen.
There are also differences between city and country.
The list includes works written by one or more Norwegian authors as well as originally foreign works that are known in Norwegian and are sung in a Norwegian version, and which are also part of the usual Christmas repertoire in Norway.
| Title | Composer/lyricist | Share |
| Delicious is the Earth | Brelau/Ingemann (adapted and translated into Norwegian) | 45% |
| A star shines tonight | Tore Aas/Eivind Skeie | 36% |
| Himmel på jord | Amund Enger/Jan Vincents Johannessen | 30% |
| Home for Christmas | Martin Sjølie/Maria Mena | 29% |
| It shines in quiet neighborhoods | Jakob Sande/Lars Søraas | 29% |
| Northern Norwegian Christmas carol | Trygve Hoff | 29% |
| Christmas Eve Visa | Arnljot Høyland/Alf Prøysen | 28% |
| When the sky falls down | Anne Grete Preus | 27% |
| Now a thousand Christmas lights are lit | Emmy Köhler/Norwegian text: Arnfinn Klakegg | 26% |
| Christmas in Svingen | Odd Nordstoga | 21% |
The survey also reveals that 43 percent of Norwegians, 2,4 million of us, usually go to Christmas concerts.
– Women are by far the most eager. Over half, 52 percent, go to Christmas concerts, while the corresponding figure for men is 34 percent, says Willy Martinsen, communications director at TONO.
The survey shows that the proportion increases with age. 51 percent of those over 60 say they usually go to Christmas concerts. Among those under 30, the proportion is 37 percent.
– There is a rich selection of Christmas concerts in November and December, and the most enthusiastic Christmas concert goers are women and the elderly. Nothing creates a Christmas atmosphere like Christmas music, and for many Norwegians, Christmas concerts are an important part of Christmas, says Martinsen.
TONO, which grants concert licenses to concert organizers so that they can hold concerts, is noticing a clear "Christmas rush" in November and December:
– During this period, there is always a large increase in applications from concert organizers to hold concerts. The most popular Christmas songs are played so often during this period that they top the lists of the most performed songs at concerts for the entire year, says Martinsen.
About the survey
The survey was conducted by Respons Analyse for TONO from December 4 to December 12, 2024 among a representative sample of Norwegians over the age of 16.
About TONO
TONO is the Norwegian collective management organization for songwriters, composers, lyricists and music publishers, and is owned and governed by them. TONO has 43,000 members, and also represents millions of music creators from the rest of the world. TONO simplifies music licensing, and its vision is to create value for everyone who creates and uses music. Read more at www.tono.no.
For more information:
Willy Martinsen, Communications Director at TONO, mob 909 65 254, willy.martinsen (a) tono.no