Danish choir unexpectedly performs for incoming prime minister after royal visit

A 500-voice choir in Odense, originally assembled to farewell Denmark’s royal couple, found itself improvising an impromptu performance for incoming Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Tuesday, Danish broadcaster DR reports.

The Bavnebål choir had prepared a one-hour set to mark the end of King Frederik and Queen Mary’s visit to the city aboard the royal yacht Dannebrog. But when Frederiksen arrived to formally announce the formation of a new government after two months of negotiations, the event stretched to two and a half hours—forcing the singers to extend their repertoire on the spot.

“We just make it up as we go,” choir director Janne Wind told DR. “Luckily, many of these songs are so good you can just restart them, add four extra choruses, clap along. The show must go on.”

The choir greeted Frederiksen with Fuglene (The Birds), a song by Danish band Hugorm, its lyrics—“They know your Jutland, your Zealand, your Funen. They know you. You’re a real person”—resonating with the moment, according to Wind. “It landed rather well,” she said.

The extended performance capped what Wind called a “completely magical evening,” blending the pomp of the royal visit with the political milestone. “It’s already a fairy tale that the royal yacht comes to Odense, and we get to show how proud we are of having massive choirs on Funen,” she said. “Then for it to suddenly expand like this—absolutely fantastic.”