Jump to content

Theme Of The Month, Oct 2015: Scandinavian Tunes


Jim Besser

Recommended Posts

We did English tunes in September; how about taking a little side trip and doing music from Scandinavia?

Polskas, hambos, brudmarsches, gånglåts, schottishes, there's just so much great music from this part of the world.

Sweden, Denmark and Norway are rich lodes of traditional music, and young, talented musicians steeped in those traditions are writing great new tunes.

Are Finland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands technically part of Scandinavia? I don't know, and Wikipedia is not exactly clear on the subject, but for ThOTM purposes, let's say they are, especially since there are so many really cool Finnish tunes!

Trad tunes, new tunes, your choice! Have fun.

Edited by Jim Besser
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Arepolska is a gorgeous swedish one! And in finnish there is a song called On Suuri San Rantas Autius (Sung here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoZwHkYu6aM&index=1&list=FLrBo1QuewDhBuvVr9O7jQ3w, very soupy) which I tink would work quite well on concertina - the only version I can find online are very soupy singing, but the melody just played more plainly I think is quite nice, and very melancholy (being finnish and all.) And on the subject of melancholy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc5M2Pa2rOQ is pretty cool too.

 

The bounciness of scandinavian tunes is so appealing to play with on concertina 8D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since the designation of Finland as a Scandinavian country is a matter of controversy, what better way to kick things off than with a tune of disputed origin?

 

http://youtu.be/6OIH2g6VCL4

 

"Astridin Valssi" is the Finnish name by which the Swedish group Norrlåtar recorded the tune in the 1970s (according to a discussion here: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?112890-Astridin-Valssi-(Swedish-waltz)).I've seen it confidently described as both Swedish and Finnish. If you know one way or the other, please enlighten me.

 

Wherever it originated, it struck me as a lovely waltz when I first heard it a few hours ago, looking for Scandinavian tunes to contribute to the Theme. Since I had some time this morning, I entertained myself by layering the instruments a bit on this one.

 

Bob Michel

Near Philly

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A quick take of a tune I heard David Barnert play at last month's Northeast Squeeze In: Gånglåt från Äppelbo

A Swedish 'walking tune' - or Gånglåt - from Äppelbo, a town Wikipedia says has 258 residents.

 

Played in G on a G/D Jeffries Anglo 30 button.

Edited by Jim Besser
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've got two this month. Stensvals, a nice waltz from the Dalarna region of Sweden that I learned from Bertil Ferneborg at Ashokan in the 1980s, and an unnamed tune that (after I learned it as Swedish) turns out to be Norwegian, but I hope that doesn't disqualify it. It's one of my favorite tunes to play (especially in duet with a fiddle). Also learned at Ashokan in the 80s, this one from Dave Kaynor, who said it was Swedish and was called "Sugar is Sweet." I've also heard it called "Kommen Til Meij Om Kvelden" which supposedly is Norwegian for "Come to me in the evening" although google translate, while recognizing it as Norwegian, seems to think the syntax is wrong. Several other authorities on Scandinavian music that I've asked said it doesn't have a name besides Norwegian Schottische (or Norwegian Reinlender, which meant the same thing).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's the (Swedish) "Waltz from Orsa":

 

http://youtu.be/Ac-VFs2AcDQ

 

I've half-known this tune for many years, having first heard it (I think) from Jackie Daly and Séamus and Manus McGuire on the first (I think) album by "Buttons and Bows." I'm glad finally to have an incentive to tidy it up.

 

Bob Michel

Near Philly

 

What an interesting waltz!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've got two this month. Stensvals, a nice waltz from the Dalarna region of Sweden that I learned from Bertil Ferneborg at Ashokan in the 1980s, and an unnamed tune that (after I learned it as Swedish) turns out to be Norwegian, but I hope that doesn't disqualify it. It's one of my favorite tunes to play (especially in duet with a fiddle). Also learned at Ashokan in the 80s, this one from Dave Kaynor, who said it was Swedish and was called "Sugar is Sweet." I've also heard it called "Kommen Til Meij Om Kvelden" which supposedly is Norwegian for "Come to me in the evening" although google translate, while recognizing it as Norwegian, seems to think the syntax is wrong. Several other authorities on Scandinavian music that I've asked said it doesn't have a name besides Norwegian Schottische (or Norwegian Reinlender, which meant the same thing).

 

"Unnamed" - I know I've heard that one before, and probably played it. And I have no idea what the name .s

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's so cool that so many of you have chosen tunes from my home region, and even one from the place where I grew up (Orsa). I don't live there anymore but the region has a special place in my heart. :) I haven't joined the TOTM for ages but will definitely try to learn something for this month.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was asked to play with a fiddler and violist at a Swedish funeral next week. Fortuitously, this hambo was in the set list. It doesnt sound like a funeral song to me (the rest of the set list does) but it was fun to learn.

 

The recording quality is terrible. It sounded fine when I recorded it on my iphone but declined when I uploaded it to Soundcloud. Don't know what happened.

 

 

 

https://soundcloud.com/ariaqueezehammer/hambo-pa-logen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Randy Stein and I - two-thirds of The Squeezers - knocked this off in one take last night before rehearsal. Botched the ending.

 

The tune is Balzer Jungfru, a waltz variously described as Norwegian or Swedish despite a name that - to me - sounds more German.

 

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/68325595/C.net%20Tune%20of%20the%20Month/BalzerJungfru.MP3

 

Wheatstone English concertina and Jeffries G/D Anglo.

Edited by Jim Besser
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...