Morten on stage at the Opera House in Oslo

Morten took part in the “Dugnad For Haiti” charity concert at the Oslo Opera House last night, by performing the Christian hymn “O Bli Hos Meg”, which is the Norwegian version of the original English hymn “Abide With Me”.

This is a song that Morten has performed several times before, most recently at his church concert in Kristiansund in September.

He was accompanied by Kjetil Bjerkestrand on piano, Rune Arnesen on percussion and a string quartet.

At the end of the concert Ole Paus and all the artists, including Morten, performed the new charity single “Den Stilleste Timen”, which was written by Paus.

“It’s incredible what [Ole Paus] has achieved. The fact that he’s managed to turn around and deliver something like this. It’s really super“, Morten told VG Nett after the concert.

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Among the concert audience was Crown Prince Haakon Magnus. “I am impressed by all those who have made this happen, both the artists and those who work at the Opera House“, the Crown Prince told VG Nett.

All proceeds from the event goes to the Norwegian Red Cross and the Norwegian Church Aid, two organizations that are providing relief work in Haiti at the moment. More info about the important work they are doing can be found here and here.

People watching the concert at home could donate 200 kroner by calling the number shown on the screen, and initial reports show that more than 20 million kroner was raised during the concert.

Morten tells VG Nett that he hopes the concert can inspire an even stronger commitment to helping the Haiti earthquake victims:

“People’s reactions now are of vital importance. But it is also of vital importance that we decide on what can be called acceptable. The imbalance that exists in the world today is totally unacceptable. It’s a challenge that we need to face together. Everyone who wants to do something now once again has a chance to do their share. It’s easy to become disheartened, but it will make a difference. For many people it’s too late, but there is a lot of people who need help now.

What’s happened in Haiti is terrible. And Haiti’s situation through the years has also been unacceptable. But right now there’s a real disaster where people need all the help they can get“, Morten says.

If you didn’t get a chance to watch the concert, it is available on NRK.no here (Morten appears after 1 hour 43 minutes).