Se ilden lyse (Fire in Your Heart)

"Se ilden lyse" (in English: "Fire in Your Heart") is a single by Norwegian singer Sissel Kyrkjebø, released as the official song of the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. It was a huge hit, peaking at number-one for three weeks on the Norwegian singles chart. In English, it is also sung as a duet with Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo.^[1] Both versions are written by Jan Vincents Johannessen^[2] and composed/produced by Svein Gundersen. It features Oslo Gospel Choir and fiddle by Annbjørg Lien. The songs were also included on Kyrkjebø's 1994 number-one album release, Innerst i sjelen (in English: Deep Within My Soul).

"Se ilden lyse"
Single by Sissel Kyrkjebø
from the album Innerst i sjelen
Released	1994 (1994)
Studio	Oslo Lydstudio
Genre	Pop
Length	4:22
Label	Universal
Songwriter(s)	Jan Vincents Johannessen
Producer(s)	Svein Gundersen
Sissel Kyrkjebø singles chronology
"Innerst i sjelen" (1994) "Se ilden lyse" (1994) "Eg veit i himmerik ei borg" (1995)

"Fire in Your Heart (duet with Plácido Domingo)"
Single by Sissel Kyrkjebø, Plácido Domingo
Released	1994 (1994)
Genre	Pop
Songwriter(s)	Jan Vincents Johannessen
Producer(s)	Svein Gundersen

Background

The duet between Sissel and Plácido Domingo, Fire in Your Heart, was recorded in a canteen in Lillehammer before the opening of the 1994 Winter Olympics. Because of the tight schedules of both Plácido Domingo and Sissel, they had only a few hours to record this English version of the Olympics anthem before the opening ceremony. When they recorded the song in the canteen, coffee cups and food could still be seen on the tables!^[3]

"We knew he had expressed an interest in her before. Via Deutsche Grammophon we had good connections with Domingo. He asked us to send her complete portfolio to L.A., but due to the terrible earthquake the mail arrived too late, so we didn't get an answer in time. Two days before the Games he arrived in Oslo for a concert. We tried it again, and he came by car all the 200 kilometers from Oslo to Lillehammer. A few hours before the opening ceremony he recorded his part in an improvised mobile studio, from where he had to rush back to Spain, but not after inviting her for a guest slot on his upcoming album."

— PolyGram Norway MD Jørn Johnsen talking to Music & Media about the duet between Sissel and Plácido Domingo.^[4]

Chart performance

In Norway, "Se ilden lyse" reached number-one on VG-lista Top 20 and stayed on the list for nine weeks, with three weeks as number-one.^[5] In Denmark, it peaked at number 17. The international single-release, "Fire in Your Heart" peaked at number nine on Sverigetopplistan in Sweden, with a total of six weeks within the chart.^[6] The duet-version with Plácido Domingo peaked at number twenty in Switzerland and number 26 in Germany.^[7]

Track listing

• CD maxi, Norway (1994)

1. "Se ilden lyse" – 4:22
2. "Fire In Your Heart" – 4:22

• CD single, Germany (1994)

1. "Fire In Your Heart" (Duet with Plácido Domingo) – 4:22
2. "The Gift of Love" – 4:07
3. "Se ilden lyse" – 4:22

• CD single, Germany (1994)

1. "Fire In Your Heart" – 4:22
2. "The Gift of Love" – 4:07
3. "Se ilden lyse" – 4:22

• CD single mini, Japan (1994)

1. "Fire In Your Heart" – 4:21
2. "Se ilden lyse" – 4:21
3. "Here, There and Everywhere" – 2:38

Charts

Se ilden lyse

Weekly charts

Chart (1994)	Peak position
Denmark (IFPI)	17
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[8]	27
Norway (VG-lista)[9]	1

Fire in Your Heart

Weekly charts Chart (1994) Peak position Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) 9

Year-end charts Chart (1994) Position Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[10] 90

Fire in Your Heart (duet with Plácido Domingo)

Weekly charts

Chart (1994)	Peak position
Germany (Media Control Charts)	26
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)	20

References

1. "Inquirer.com: Philadelphia local news, sports, jobs, cars, homes". Articles.philly.com. 17 February 1994. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
2. "MUSIC | Jan Vincents Johannessen".
3. "Soprano Sissel sings for the love of singing". The Boston Globe. 9 February 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
4. Tilli, Robbert (12 March 1994). "Sissel Carries Lillehammer's Olympic Flame Forever" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
5. "VG-lista - Sissel Kyrkjebø". Lista.vg.no. Archived from the original on 5 August 2011.
6. Steffen Hung (11 March 1994). "Swedishcharts.com - Swedish Charts - Singles Top 100 1994-03-11". Swedish Charts. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
7. Charts.nz
8. "Music & Media: Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. 26 March 1994. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
9. "SISSEL KYRKJEBØ - SE ILDEN LYSE (SONG)". Swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
10. "Årslista Singlar, 1994" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 23 November 2019.