Heidi Sankta Lucia, a beloved Swedish tradition, was firmly on my travel bucket list. So, when I discovered that an annual Lucia concert takes place in the charming, wooden Bosebo Church at Kulturen in the delightful city of Lund, it felt like the perfect, unique opportunity for my inaugural experience of the festival.
Luciaconcert by Bella Voce
For years, the Bosebo Church at Kulturen, located in the academic hub of Lund, has been the venue for a highly-praised Lucia concert performed by the Bella Voce choir. Demand is incredibly high—even though the performance is staged four times that very evening, tickets are snapped up immediately every year. A quick look at the Facebook event page shows messages from people practically begging for a spare ticket!
Consequently, I was absolutely thrilled to secure a place. I must extend my thanks to Visit Lund and Kulturen as I was even given a privileged spot, ensuring I had a prime view of the ceremony.
Candles, carols, and the Lucia ceremony
At 7 pm, the church lights were extinguished, and a respectful silence fell. The choir processed into the church, led by Lucia. In keeping with tradition, Lucia wore a crown adorned with real candles. The other choir members followed, all in white robes tied with a red sash, wearing wreaths in their hair and holding a single candle. The only light source in the entire church was the soft glow from the choir’s candles.
The moment was truly profound. I am certain that every time I hear the Sankta Lucia song, I will be transported back to that beautiful ceremony in the little wooden church in Lund. The choir delivered an impressive set lasting over 40 minutes, featuring carols linked to Sankta Lucia and Christmas. Most were sung in Swedish, with a few in English. It was a genuinely breathtaking and moving experience.
Bella Voce: Lund University’s ladies choir
Bella Voce is an all-female choir whose members are either current students or alumnae of Lund University. This exceptional ladies’ choir truly created magic, their voices blending together beautifully. If you can’t be in Lund around the time of Lucia or miss out on tickets for their Lucia concert, I wholeheartedly recommend attending one of their other performances.
Exploring the historic Bosebo Church, Kulturen
I’d visited Lund and Kulturen a few times before and was already impressed by the Bosebo Church. This historic wooden church originated in Småland and dates back to 1652. It was scheduled for demolition in 1894 to make way for a larger building. Fortunately, Kulturen was able to purchase the structure, dismantle it, move it, and rebuild it at the open-air museum in Lund.
The church’s organ (which I was seated very near during the Lucia celebration) dates from 1773 and is still fully functional. Looking up, you can admire the original painted ceilings (by Sven Nilsson Morin), which are still in remarkably good condition. The pulpit, from 1781, was decorated in the Rococo style by the same artist. Today, the church is still a functioning venue for events such as baptisms and weddings in Lund. More details about this incredible piece of Swedish church history are available on the Swedish website.
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