Sigrid Algesten

Sigrid is a member of SYSTIR.

When I sing, it feels like I let my soul out for a flight around the room.

When I sing with others, it feels like my soul expands and our conjoined voices could pierce through the stratosphere. For me, singing produces a very complex array of feelings, meanings and thoughts - delivering a message through song is not at all like talking or writing. It is so much stronger. Singing in a group to an audience? Well, that puts yet another layer to it! I remember once locking eyes with an elderly man in the audience while performing, neither of us could look away. He was a stranger to me but he understood the message, he knew it all. The energy that flowed between us became fire-wood and you could have reached out your hand and felt the warmth of that glow between the stage and the benches. Inevitably, we both had tears running down our faces. For me, that moment encompasses the magic of choir music. It is a conversation between singers and audience, telling messages and stories you can’t convey in any other way. 

I grew up on an island on the west coast of Sweden, secluded from any traffic or other man-made noises. Instead, we lived close by to high mountains and caves that made the neighbors’ bull sound like a deity when his wails echoed over the valley. The caves and mountains were magical, but even more so the ocean that enclosed our island. I truly believe I was a mermaid in my past life, as I’ve always felt most at peace being surrounded by salt water. Preferably being completely under the surface, eyes open without goggles, looking at the blur and the bubbles. My mum usually had to drag me from the beach while I begged her to stay, me with blue lips and mum shivering from the cold. Did you know that nobody can hear you scream and say bad words when you do it underwater? I knew, and I made sure to make most of that opportunity when needed. Try it sometime!

Choir music has been imprinted in my DNA since birth (and even earlier than that, my parents met at a choir festival). Growing up with highly musical parents, I learned how to read sheet music parallelly to learning the alphabet. We sang three-part-melodies in the car and early on I got accustomed to performing at various venues and events, as well as listening to hour-long rehearsals in cold churches… Choir music is home, it’s the foundation of my very upbringing. 

Ever since I was six years old I’ve sung in different choirs, and have had the opportunity to perform in many different countries and languages, mostly as a part of the Gothenburg Youth Choir lead by the nationally recognised and awarded Anne Johansson. It was also through choir I had the privilege to perform with  Bobby McFerrin at the Gothenburg Concert Hall. I have also been recognised as a soloist and have for instance performed with the Gothenburg Wind Orchestra.

When I first heard Anúna and Michael’s music in 2013, I became an instant fan girl. The effortlessness, the divinity of their sound absolutely consumed me (and still does). Years later (2017) when I heard that Michael and members of Anúna were giving a workshop in Gothenburg with Gothenburg Youth Choir, I was ecstatic beyond words. Then and there started the journey towards becoming Anúna’s first Swedish member in 2022.

Growing up I had dreams and plans of working with music full time but in 2016 I unfortunately got problems with tinnitus and hyperacusis (hyper sensitivity to sound), so I had to rethink. Now I’m a social worker and a beach lifeguard, both of which I take great pride in. Being an Anúna member definitely takes the top spot though!