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From 16th century tune to a polska

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The group of Swedish folk artists who brought us the lovely album, Jul i Folkton (Christmas in Folk Sounds), are at it again. They have created a new live show, which is currently touring Sweden and will result in a live album to be released soon.

This video is of a performance of one piece from the [...]

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A train in the night…

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In one of the very first postings on Multe Music, I wrote about a tune written by Norwegian fiddler Sturla Eide, "Tog i natta (A Train In The Night)", that was inspired by a visit to our fair town of Northfield, Minnesota.
Recently Eide put a video (in HD, no less) of one of his performances [...]

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EVENT: Finnskogpols Workshops, April 16-19, 2010

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Skandia Folkdance Society has announed that this year's Springdans Northwest dance and music workshops (April 16-19, 2010) will feature the Finnskogpols (Polsdans from Finnskoga) taught by Bjørn Sverre Hol Haugen and Veslemøy Nordset from Norway. Originating in the border area between Sweden and Norway, this dance is embraced by Swedes and Norwegians alike — as [...]

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What if Bach played the polska?

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In 2007, two Swedish musicians developed a concert program and issued a CD called "Bach på svenska (Bach in Swedish)". Lisa Rydberg (violin) and Gunnar Idenstam (small reed organ) asked the questions:
What might have happened if Johan Sebastian Bach had come to Sweden and met Swedish musicians? How might Bach's music and traditional Swedish music [...]

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Leif-Billyz: Jämtgubben, polka av Rune "Gnesta-Kalle" Gnestadius

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I am so glad that silverbassharpa changed his YouTube settings to allow embedding because it allows me to share this wonderful video with you!

The tune they are playing is "Jämtgubben (Guy from Jämtland) av Rune "Gnesta-Kalle" Gnestadius", which seems like it could be danced as either a polka or snoa. It's interesting that they use [...]

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A "banjo hopsa" from Denmark

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While originally an African-American folk instrument, the banjo has made its way into use in the traditional (and not-so-traditional) music of Nordic countries as well.

Here is "Hopsa efter Niels "Svenske Niels" Wilhelm". It's also known as the "Banjohopsa (Banjo Hopsa)" because Erling played it on banjo with Svenske Niels (Swedish Niels/Nils) in the 1970s.The hopsa [...]

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Ila Auto: Norsk blågress / Norwegian bluegrass

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Last Friday, I went to a fabulous concert by Monroe Crossing (with a great opening set by a young and impressive group, the Sawtooth Bluegrass Band). Monroe Crossing is a nationally recognized bluegrass band from here in Minnesota and they usually do one or two shows each year here in Northfield.  Most recently, they had [...]

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Crested hen varietals

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One of the most commonly known Danish folk dances is "Den toppende høne (The Crested Hen)". In many North America sources, I usually see only one version listed and taught.
But there are multiple versions of this dance and the music. Here we have two examples of the dance and music straight from Denmark. The first [...]

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Leif Rygg – lausdans kar!?

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Now here's some fun for those of you familiar with the folk music scene in Norway — Leif Rygg competing in… lausdans / halling ?!?!

The video was taken at the recent Vestlandskappleiken 2009, held in Jostedalen. This is a multi-province folk music and dance competition on Norway's west coast.
They have just announced that Atle Hoff [...]

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A tragic Icelandic song

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As the frost comes, winter cannot be far behind and it seems appropriate to be in a melancholy mood.
Today's selection is a version of the haunting Icelandic folk song, Móðir mín í kví kví, done by Seth Sharp and the Black Clock.
One person explained the song this way:
In the old days in Iceland, unwanted newborns [...]

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From folk to classical: Myllarguten's Bridal March

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As romantic nationalism grew in Europe in the 1800s, so did the use of folk themes in classical music.
Among the strongest Nordic examples is Norwegian composer Edvard Hagerup Grieg. In the past 25 years, I've seen interest grow among classical musicians to hear and understand the actual sources / tunes upon which some of the [...]

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How can you possibly sit still?!?!

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Among the things I like about Nordic dance music is that it often seems to be impossible to sit still when you hear it.
I can honestly understand why this type of music was opposed by the more pietistic Christians of the time. However, you would think that they associated the urge to move with something [...]

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Hardingfele and Nordfjordspringar at the movies…in 1939!

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Here is a real treasure of a clip!
Alfred Maurstad (1896-1967) is often remembered as a leading actor, theater manager and movie director in Norway. But he was also a major hardingfele (Hardanger fiddle) player and came from Nordfjord on Norway's west coast.

This video clip comes from Maurstad's eighth movie, Gjest Baardsen (1939). Here he plays [...]

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A polska halling

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Many people think that halling is a dance found only in Norway. That's not true. Sweden, too, has a halling tradition.

Halling is usually played and danced in a beat of 2/4 or 4/4. Here we have an interesting blending of halling being danced to a polska tune, which is in an asymmetrical beat of three.
The [...]

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Halling it on a guitar bouzouki

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From Swedish halling yesterday to Norwegian today.
I've featured the work of Andreas Aase before. He's a Norwegian guitarist from Trondheim who has been doing some interesting things with folk music — and posting videos to YouTube.

Here he's playing a halling (laus) tune from on a hybrid instrument — a guitar bouzouki. The tune appears [...]

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