Sissel Kyrkjebø (born June 24, 1969 in Bergen, Norway), also known as just … Read Full Bio ↴Sissel Kyrkjebø (born June 24, 1969 in Bergen, Norway), also known as just Sissel, is a Norwegian singer. She is best known for singing the Olympic Hymn (Hymne Olympique) at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 1994 Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway, for duets with Plácido Domingo, Warren G and The Chieftains, and for participation on the Titanic film soundtrack.

Also she performed during the intermission of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1986 in Bergen, opening act of the winter Olympic games in 1994 at Lillehammer, voice to the Norwegian, Swedish and Danish version of “the little mermaid, Sung on the Titanic album (‘My heart will go on’ was originally written to her), Royal Variety show in London 1995, Preformed at annual Christmas concert in Vienna, 2000 Nobel peace price concert with Josh Groban singing “the prayer”, toured with The Lord of the Rings Symphony Tour in 2004 and her latest achievement is a number one on the Billboard classical charts with the christmas album “Spirit of the Season - with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir featuring Sissel”

Sissel's musical style runs the gamut from pop recordings and folk songs to classical vocals. Her work on the soundtrack to Titanic has led to comparisons with Irish singer Enya.

Sissel's combined solo record sales (not including soundtracks and other albums to which she contributed) amount to over 9 million albums sold, most of them in Norway -- a country with only 4.5 million people.

She’s released over 14 studio albums, her Christmas album from 1986 is the best selling album in Norway ever with almost one mill copies sold! She’s featured on several soundtracks and sold well over nine million albums world wide and her popularity continues to grow!

She truly is a northern star!

Here are the lyrics to her song "Ready to go home":

On this street below these walls
Where I used to walk now I can barely crawl
All this darkness rise and tall
Lord shine a light for me I’m ready to be caught

I’m ready to go home
I’m ready to receive forgiveness for my sins
I’m ready to begin

Take this river to the sea
Where the delta flows
The tide is washing over me
Guide this soul to heavens door
Show me where tomorrow lays
I’m waiting to be born

I’m ready to lay down
I’m ready now to sleep a promise I must keep
I’m ready to go home

So time I’ll lay down with these memories
Breathe the shallow deep inside of me
If time has run its course with me

I’m ready to go home
I’m ready to receive forgiveness for my sins
I’m ready to begin

When the evening shadows fall
When the time has come
I let defences fall
To surrenders to survive
I will give up everything to those I leave behind

I’m ready to go home
I’m ready to receive forgiveness for my sins
I’m ready to begin
I’m ready to lay down
I’m ready now to sleep a promise I must keep
I’m ready to go home, again

Going home again

Glade Jul
Sissel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Glade jul, hellige jul
engler daler ned i skjul
Hit de flyver med paradisgrønt
hvor de ser hva for Gud er skjønt
Lønnlig i blant oss de går
lønnlig i blant oss de går

Julefryd, evige fryd

hellig sang med himmelsk lyd
Det var engler som hyrdene så
den gang Herren i krybben lå
Evig er englenes sang
evig er englenes sang

Fred på jord, fryd på jord
Jesusbarnet i blant oss bor
Engler synger om barnet så smukt
han har himmeriks dør opplukt
Salig er englenes sang
Salig er englenes sang

Salig fred, himmelsk fred
toner julenatt her ned
Engler bringer til store og små
bud om ham som i krybben lå

Fryd deg hver sjel han har frelst
Fryd deg hver sjel han har frelst

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Sissel's song "Glade Jul" celebrate the joy and holiness of the Christmas season, and the presence of angels in our midst. The opening lines declare "Glade jul, hellige jul" ("Merry Christmas, holy Christmas"), as the angels alight in hidden places with their "paradise green" wings. They are able to see what is beautiful to God, and they walk among us quietly, observing and guarding.

The second verse celebrates the eternal joy and heavenly singing that came with the birth of Jesus, as the angels appeared to the shepherds to announce the good news. The angels' song is forever, and their presence at Christmas reminds us of the great gift that was given to us on that night so long ago.

The final verse speaks of the peacefulness and joy that comes with the presence of the Christ child. The angels sing of him, and he has opened up the door to heaven for us all. The song closes with the exhortation to rejoice, for every soul that has been saved. Altogether, "Glade Jul" is a beautiful and transcendent song, worthy of the season it celebrates.

Line by Line Meaning

Glade jul, hellige jul
Merry Christmas, holy Christmas

engler daler ned i skjul
Angels descend into hiding

Hit de flyver med paradisgrønt
They fly here with paradise green

hvor de ser hva for Gud er skjønt
Where they see what is beautiful for God

Lønnlig i blant oss de går
Lonely, they walk among us

Julefryd, evige fryd
Christmas joy, eternal joy

hellig sang med himmelsk lyd
Holy song with heavenly sound

Det var engler som hyrdene så
It was angels that the shepherds saw

den gang Herren i krybben lå
Back when the Lord lay in the manger

Evig er englenes sang
Eternal is the angels' song

Fred på jord, fryd på jord
Peace on earth, joy on earth