Nobel Peace Prize Concert

The World Youth Choir opened the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Concert with “O Fortuna”, accompanied by the Norwegian Radio Orchestra.

Next to perform was Bernhoft, the only Norwegian artist on the programme, who delighted the audience with the songs “C’mon Talk” and “Stay with Me”.

Tribute to women’s role as peace-builders

For the past two years, the Peace Prize laureates have not been in attendance at the concert. However, this year all three prize-winners – Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman – were present in Oslo Spektrum, seated with the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, Princess Märtha Louise and Mr Ari Behn, Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee Thorbjørn Jagland, and Director of the Nobel Institute Geir Lundestad.

On Saturday, President of Liberia Sirleaf, her compatriot peace activist Gbowee and Yemeni peace activist Karman received the Nobel Peace Prize for 2011 at a formal ceremony at Oslo City Hall for “their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work”.

Tawakkol Karman is the youngest person to ever receive the Peace Prize. She concluded her speech at the end of the concert by having the audience repeat after her: “Together, together, we will build a new world together.”

Top artists

After the interval, Angelique Kidjo, Ms Gbowee’s choice of musical artist, had the audience on its feet, singing, clapping and dancing along to her song “Afirika”, as she wound her way through the spectators.

Other solo artists and bands included Sugarland, Miatta Fahnbulleh, David Gray, Janelle Monáe, Evanescence, Ahmed Fathi, Ellie Goulding and Jill Scott.

All of the performers joined the laureates and hosts on the stage to wrap up the concert with a rendition of Curtis Mayfield’s “Move on Up”.