1997 Nyckelharpa Stämma Revie · Harris, Garry Nord, Chris von Wunder, and finally to all the...

Nyckel Notes Jul 1997 1

INSIDE THIS ISSUE1997 Nyckelharpa Stämma Review ............. 1

ANA Business .............................................. 3

Spela Bättre! ................................................ 4

Tune Swap ................................................... 5

Seen, Heard ................................................. 6

Odds and Ends ............................................ 6

Recordings and Books for Sale ................... 7

Upcoming Nyckelharpa Events .................. 10

Some Tunes .............................................. 11

Nyckelharpa Care ...................................... 13

Editor’s Note .............................................. 13

ANA Information......................................... 14

1997 NyckelharpaStämma Review

by Becky Weis

The ANA Stämma was held July 11-13,1997, in Minneapolis, MN. AndersMattson from Örbyhus, Uppland,Sweden was the guest artist andteacher.

10 nyckelharpa players and 1 violaplayer attended the workshops. Themusicians came from Minnesota, Illinois,California, Vermont, and Oregon.

The Stämma began with an impromptudinner at Becky Weis'. As people calledher to confirm that they had arrived intown and when she unexpectedly metthem shopping in a local Scandinavianstore, she invited them to dinner. Aspeople arrived, they helped cook dinnerand bake goodies for the weekend. The

dinner set a friendly tone for the weekend and gavepeople a chance to meet and talk with Anders. Thehelpfulness, cooperation, willingness, and friendlinessof everybody made the weekend successful.

Henning and Ruth Nielsen hosted the Friday eveningworkshop. Henning began playing nyckelharpa after

July 1997 Number 8

Participants at the 1997 Nyckelharpa Stämma

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE AMERICAN NYCKELHARPA ASSOCIATION

Nyckel Notes Jul 1997 2he retired and purchased his instrument from anAmerican in Chicago who had had the nyckelharpasitting in his closet for 10 years. Anders led theevening with some Allspel tunes, followed by teachingseveral tunes, a coffee break, a review of the newtunes, and ending with more Allspel. For the finalAllspel, we went around the circle, in typical Swedishfashion, with each player choosing a favorite tune.Those who knew the tune joined in.

The Saturday workshop and dance were held at GoodTemplar Center, which has a good dance floor, airconditioning, and a large kitchen and dining room.Several people helped prepare snacks and set-up thepotluck dinner. We alternated 1-2 hour workshopsessions with lemonade breaks and meals, flowingfrom one to the other as democratically determined.

Anders led the workshops. He helped people carefullytune their instruments and discussed with individualswhat adjustments their nyckelharpas needed and howto do the adjustments. Anders discussed Bondpolskarhythm: keep first and second beats strong, two may be(but doesn’t have to be) slightly early, the bow cancome off the string, and there needs to a lightness andforward motion in the tune. We practiced these ideaswith the two polskas efter Styfberg that Anders hadtaught. Then we applied it to other polskas we knew,beginning with Båtsmandäck. Båtsmandäck soundedone hundred percent improved from the Allspel thenight before. The other tunes Anders taught over theweekend he regularly reviewed, correcting small turns,explaining ornaments, talking about rhythm and playingfor dancing, or suggesting fingerings. Anders' teachingwas musically inspiring and technically constructive.

At a workshop, it is difficult to balance the desire formany new tunes and the need to learn a few new tuneswell. As a compromise, and as he had done at BuffaloGap, Anders recorded the 20 tunes Becky hadtranscribed. This also gave Stämma participants thesame tunes that Buffalo Gap attendees had learned,which provides and promotes a shared repertoire for

nyckelharpa players across the US. [We’re looking intomaking the transcriptions and copies of the tapeavailable for a small fee, stay tuned next issue! -Bart]

The potluck dinner was typical for the Minneapolis areaScandinavian dance community, with lots of good food(not too bland!) and desserts.

The dance was attended by 55 people, a very goodturnout for Minneapolis in the middle of the summer inhot and humid weather. Stämma participants andmany dancers commented upon how much fun andhow spirited the dance and evening were. It was oneof the best Scandinavian dances we have had inMinneapolis. Stämma participants, Anders, and localmusicians contributed music. The dance flowedbeautifully, with an enjoyable variety of music thatpleased musicians and dancers. Anders played twosolo sets of Bondpolska, 16th note polska, andgammaldans. Nyckelharpas and violins played threesets together, with nyckelharpas leading twice andviolins leading once. These sets were fun and goodsounding jams, with a wide variety of mostly Swedishtunes. Four sets were played by small groups ofmusicians. Darren Knittle and Marilee Cowan, whoplay together in Portland OR, and Paul Hogland andSuzanne Persson who play together in Chicago IL,each played a set of tunes from their repertoire. Aspontaneously formed group of fiddlers rehearsed inthe basement during the dance, then played one set.Karen Solgård and Becky Weis played shortTelespringar and Valdresspringar sets on hardingfele.Anders invited Becky to join him on his last set to endthe evening. They played several Eric Sahlström tunesand other standard Uppland tunes. A wonderful,spirited, friendly dance evening.

Char and Bruce Bostrom hosted the Sunday brunchand workshop. Several people, some local and somewho came from Kansas and Wisconsin for the danceand jamming, joined the brunch and listened to theafternoon workshop. Anders reviewed tunes andtalked about learning and musical expression. He

explained withplaying, ratherthan with words.The Bostrom'sscreened-inporch on theshore of LakeComo providedan airy, relaxedatmosphere.

The social timeduring theStämmaweekend gavepeople a chanceEveryone on-stage for an Allspel!

Nyckel Notes Jul 1997 3to get to know Anders and other nyckelharpa playersfrom around the US. This is important for the Stämmaand the ANA.

The Sunday evening concert was sponsored by theAmerican Swedish Institute (ASI) Spelmanslag and theASI, who excellently publicized the concert in theirmagazine, on local radio stations, and in the localnewspapers. 100 people attended the concert in theASI auditorium. Anders played 23 tunes, eachpreceded by a story about the tune or its origins. Whendoing serious performing, Anders tells his stories inSwedish, with Becky Weis translating the stories intoEnglish. Anders plays with expression, energy,rhythmic verve, and technically superb dexterity. Hisplaying and stories impart the tradition. Anders invitedBecky to play several tunes with him. Their playingconveyed their fun and enjoyment of musicalcommunication. With a splendid musical and virtuosicdisplay, it was obvious why Anders won theNyckelharpa World Championship in 1994. Next, theASI Spelmanslag played a waltz written especially forthem by a Dalarna fiddler, Säbb Anders. The concertconcluded with the Stämma participants joining the ASISpelmanslag for two final Allspel tunes. A successfulconclusion to a successful Stämma.

Special thanks go to the American Swedish Institute,Paul Dahlin and the ASI Spelmanslag, Char and BruceBostrom, Henning and Ruth Nielsen, Joanne Carlson,Kate Sterner, Suzanne Walters, Paula Goode, JamieHarris, Garry Nord, Chris von Wunder, and finally to allthe Stämma participants, who made this such awonderful weekend. Special thanks to all the peoplewho helped at Good Templar Center and at theAmerican Swedish Institute concert. You did so muchto make the Stämma a success. After helping, yourejoined the festivities before I knew whom to thank.So, THANK YOU!

ANA BusinessNew AddressWe have moved out of our house on N 73rd Street, andI’m in limbo right now (sort of moved to North Carolina,but still in Seattle working to finish my Ph.D.). Here’sthe new address for both me and the ANA:

PO Box 45126Seattle WA 98145-0126206-543-2480 (my office at school)[email protected]

Nominate Three Board Members

The following were elected as ANA board members,starting January 1997:

Bart Brashers 2 year termBecky Weis 2 year termGail Halverson 1 year termBruce Sagan 1 year termMatt Fichtenbaum 1 year term

That means we need three nominations for the termstarting January 1998. Current board members canserve another term, so they are fair game, as well asany other ANA member.

Please send nominations to Bart at the new addresslisted above.

A ballot will be included in the October issue.

Roster CorrectionsHere are corrections to the Roster of NyckelharpaPlayers in North America that I sent out to allnyckelharpa players with the previous issue:

Brashers BartPO Box 45126Seattle WA [email protected]

Cowan Marilee18241 SW Fallatin LoopAloha OR [email protected]

Bruce Sagan’s e-mail is [email protected]

Enid Bennion’s e-mail is [email protected]

Urban Lundberg’s e-mail is bogus.

And some additions:

Abraham, Anna17015 NE 131 PlRedmond WA [email protected]

Fridsén, Annelie3311 SPINNAKER POINTFOREST VA [email protected] - or [email protected]

Kjellberg, David516 Orchard St POB 428Standish MI 48658517-846-4014

Nielsen, Henning

Nyckel Notes Jul 1997 47249 Emerson Ave NMinneapolis MN 55430612-561-4494

Nilsson, J. KentPO Box 1208Sheboygan WI [email protected]

Williams, Steve1509 Vermont AveMarysville MI 48040810-364-4295 (H) 810-982-0891 (W)[email protected]

Miriam Wallen116 E Mill StLindsborg KS [email protected]

Get out your Roster and write these in on the blankpage provided. And don’t forget to keep me posted ifyou move!

New Banner for the NewsletterThanks go to nyckelharpa player and graphic artist TimNewcomb for designing the new masthead for NyckelNotes!

Spela Bättre!The Only Way to Improve Your Playing

by Sheila Morris

What I Learned at EkebyholmSometime during the past year, I decided it was time totake the big plunge, and go take a nyckelharpa coursein Sweden. I prepared as thoroughly as possible -- Ilearned some Swedish, so that I had a chance ofunderstanding the instructors, I brushed up all mytunes, and off I went to Ekebyholm.

First, I’d like to point out, for those who haven’t tried it,that a nyckelharpa is an extremely awkward travelingcompanion. If you don’t check it (and you shouldn’t!),and if you’re traveling solo, like I was, you have to lug iteverywhere while you’re waiting the two hours requiredfor international flights. Then, when it comes time toboard, the flight attendants will greet it with as muchdelight as though it were a screaming baby. “That’sover-sized, you’ll have to check it.” A little fast talkingwill get it on with you most of the time. “It’s a rare andvaluable stringed instrument.” “But I always take it on

with me, it fits right in the overhead bins!” At the worst,they will hand-check it, since you’ve toted it to the gate.

I went a couple of weeks early, to get used to listeningto and speaking Swedish, and I was very glad I did. Allmy instructors spoke English, but the group classeswere Swedish-only. Luckily, you can learn tunes in anylanguage, though you should be aware that they havenotes like “Ho” (B), “Ess” (Eb), “Fiss” (F#), and mostconfusingly, “B” (Bb).

We had private lessons in the morning, and groupclasses after lunch, with about 4-6 people in eachgroup. They assigned groups according to someunknown means of assessing playing levels, and did aremarkably good job of it! I had never met any of thepeople in my group, but we seemed pretty well-matched -- nobody sat there looking bored, and nobodygot left too far behind.

I learned a lot. I will now make a stab at describingexactly what I learned, although I haven’t really hadtime to process it all. Which is to say, my brain knowsthat I’m supposed to do all this stuff, but my arms,hands and fingers haven’t quite figured out how.

Keep your fingers curled, and as close to the keys aspossible. Nobody actually said this, but I noticed by themiddle of the second day that all the best players(Esbjörn Hogmark, Olov Johansson, Johan Hedin, etc.)all pressed the keys with the very tips of their fingers.No one used the pads, as far as I could tell. I askedEsbjörn about it, and he responded with “Absolutely!Trim your nails and play with just the tips -- it will makeyou faster, because your fingers are stronger that way.”And they all kept their fingers very close to the keys atall times (except Johan, who occasionally opens hishands out flat), and left as many keys pressed down aspossible. Yeah, I know, this is all basic stuff, butsomehow it’s different seeing it in action than readingabout it in a book (or an NN article, for that matter!).

Keep your hands relaxed. Tension will not make youfaster; in fact, it can get in your way, as the tensemuscles are often fighting each other. It is very hard tokeep your hands relaxed while you’re learning a newtune, but try anyway. Or rather, don’t try -- tryingmakes you more tense. Stop every once in a while andshake out your hands.

Don’t look at your fingers! Maybe while you’re learningthe tune, but once you have it, look away. Esbjörn sayshe often watches TV while he’s practicing -- besideskeeping his eyes away from his hands, it’s a distraction.If he can play the tune while watching TV, he can play itmore easily in a performance situation.

Pay attention to the tune’s rhythm. Keep it steady.This is especially important if you play for dancers.Use a metronome. Set it at a tempo where you canplay the tune accurately, and then focus on the specific

Nyckel Notes Jul 1997 5rhythmic structure you’re after -- schottis, Bondpolska,waltz. Fit in appropriate syncopation even at the slowertempo. If the style is very syncopated (like Boda), youmay need to set the metronome for only one beat permeasure. Gradually increase the tempo until you’re upto speed. All my teachers commented on my ability tohold the tune’s rhythm, and all of them feel that too fewplayers give it enough attention. I play primarily fordance, and I dance myself, so I have worked extra hardat this.

Especially, don’t rush through “the hard parts.” It canbe really fun to see how fast you can play, but it oftencomes out sounding like mush. If your fingers aren’tworking together precisely with your bowing, you mayhave hit all the notes, but who can tell? And if you playfor dance, the dancers won’t appreciate it if the tunespeeds up every time there are a bunch of sixteenth-notes. It’s not a race, and people don’t judge thequality of your playing by your speed. Nor do you getpaid by the note! Calm down! Take it easy! Relax!And practice with that metronome -- you may beamazed to discover that your tapping foot has beenspeeding up right along with your fingers.

Play exercises. All my teachers recommended some.Cajsa Ekstav stressed polska- bowing -- “Practice juston one note for awhile -- down, up, down-up. It shouldbecome automatic.” Esbjörn advocated playing scales,without watching your fingers, of course, and payingattention to keeping your fingers curled and close to thekeys. Torbjörn Näsbom had a lot of ideas. “Try playingby just moving the fingers on your bow-hand -- not thewrist, not the elbow, just the fingers.” To prepare forthis, and strengthen your hand, he suggests holding thebow vertically by the stick and “crawling” it up and downwith your fingers on one side and the thumb on theother. Give it a try. Down is easy, you have gravity tohelp, but up is a bit of a trick. And “finger curls” --holdhands up, palms facing each other. Extend fingerstoward each other, at right angles to palms. Curl themin. Extend them up. Curl them in. Etc. He alsoadvocated the “broken” scales I suggested in myprevious article, but in two octaves and with as manyas sixteen notes to one bow-stroke. He can do it, too!And as his final exercise suggestion, at 2:00 on the lastday of the course, he decided I needed to learn“Hardrevet.”

Challenge yourself. Don’t just play the accessibletunes, the simple schottises and hambos, but dig intoEric Sahlström, Bingsjö polskas, Rättvik polskas, Byss-Calle; whatever attracts you most. You learn fromevery new tune, but you learn more from tunes that area bit beyond what you think you can do.

And smile while you play! Olov Johansson alwayslooks like he’s having a great time, up on stage or infront of a class. Hasse Gille looks around at the

audience or his fellow musicians, makes eye contact,and twinkles. It really adds a lot, if you’re performing orplaying for dancers, and it can actually make you morerelaxed as you’re playing. It’s really hard to be tense ifyou’re smiling. Try it!

I’m not sure this next thing fits in the category of “thingsI learned”, but it’s something I’m considering. I havealways been a devotee of the “learn to play a few tunesreally well rather than a lot of tunes not so well” theory,but it left me without much to do in Allspel and buskspelsituations. So I’m planning, not to learn all the mostcommon tunes, but at least to play through them a fewtimes, so that it will be easier (I hope) to follow along.Leif’s books are a good source for this, as are the‘Allspelslåtar fr. Uppland’ tapes. They really do playthem all!

And a few minor points to end with: always tune up toyour note -- increasing tension on the string is morelikely to hold longer. Always tune your resonancestrings -- they’re what make the harpa sound like aharpa and not a fiddle (and they tend to stay in tunelonger than the playing strings, anyway). Always latchyour case if your harpa’s in it, even if you’ll “be rightback” -- I saw a couple of instruments dumpedunceremoniously on the floor. And mark your case insome way -- “Where’s my harpa? I left it right here!”“What did it look like?” “Well, it was in a black case....”

Tune Swapby Sheila Morris

Here’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while --would anyone be interested in swapping tunes throughthe mail? I’m thinking especially of those players whoare isolated, like I am. I’ve noticed that when I domanage to get together with another player, we don’tknow the same tunes.

So, I thought maybe I’d put two or three of my favorite(and relatively simple) tunes on a tape and send itto...Karin? Tim? Mel? And then they could put two orthree of their favorite tunes on, and send it to....?When it gets full, it could come back to me, and I wouldcopy it and send copies to anyone who had contributedtunes, and sent me a blank tape. Anyone else couldbuy one, I suppose, with the excess money going to theANA.

This way, we could develop our own Allspel repertoire -- while it should certainly include stuff that gets playedin Sweden, I know some really cool tunes that don’tseem to get played over there, and I see no reasonwhy we couldn’t include some of them, too.

Nyckel Notes Jul 1997 6One more point -- you should record your own playing,so nobody can complain about copyright infringement,and also so we all get a chance to hear each other! Itdoesn’t have to be perfect -- it’s a learning tool, not aproduction master.

Any takers? Write, call, or e-mail me:

Sheila P. Morris900 E. 8th Ave. Apt 4Denver, CO 80218(303) [email protected].

Seen, Heard

American Wins Eric Sahlström ScholarshipEach year, the Eric Sahlström Minnesfond (memorialfund) awards three full scholarships to the course atEkebyholm, where Eric was always a teacher beforehis death in 1986. Entrants are restricted to playersbetween the ages of 12 and 18, and are required tosubmit a tape of themselves playing 2 tunes.

This year, 17-year-old Anna Abraham of Seattle won!This is the first time an American has won this honor.Anna reports that she had a great time at the courseand learned a ton. She’s spending the rest of thesummer and into the fall in Norway, before returning tothe US in October. Congratulations Anna!

Odds and EndsAn occasional column devoted to cooperative self-help among geographically isolated nyckelharpaplayers.

by Mel Meer

We invite nyckelharpa players to share their solutionsto the inevitable problems of tuning, fixing, sources forsupplies, etc. Some of what works for other bowedinstruments works for us; some does not. Send yourideas for sharing what has worked for you to

Mel Meer2510 Oak CircleBryan TX 77802

[email protected]

Gammalvänster For Nyckelharpa???Yes indeed, and a fine one it is that sits beautifully onthe harpa. (See next-to-last page for written music.)

This is a continuation of a series of dance tunes fromother than Uppland tradition that play easily on thenyckelharpa in the usual (normally fiddle) key. As thismusic came to me the bowing indications were given.

The meters for northern tunes such as this are moreregular than for 8th-note polskas from Uppland andDalarna, so the musical notation is quite a bit moreaccurate. This is a very nice tune for dancingGammalvänster, also known as the Polska (ochBakmes) från Oviken. It can also be used for a varietyof slower dances from the north of Sweden:Härjedalen, Jämtland, etc.

I prefer to play measures one and two, and five and sixa bit sprightly, and measures three and four, and sevenand eight with a bit more legato.

By a strange fluke I began playing Part A of this tunebeginning with an up-bow. My wife, Becky, and I oftenplay together, she on a two row accordion. Thenotation for two-row ins and outs (same button-differentnote) is similar to up- and down-bowing and when I sawthe tune begin with an up-bow sign, I didn’t realize thatshe put it in for the 2-row. Beginning with an up-bowgives the tune a bit of syncopation that I foundattractive, and I’ve been doing it that way ever since.

But I do begin the B-Part with a down-bow. Also inmeasures nine and ten, and thirteen and fourteen Ihold the first finger on the beginning D as a referenceuntil I have played the E with the pinkie.

I hope you enjoy this tune. The second part harmony isalso delightful.

Anna Abraham


Notation ProgramsIf you have a computer and have not yet acquired amusic notation program and sound board you shouldreally consider doing so. It’s also a good reason to geta computer, and you don’t need a very sophisticatedcomputer -- just one that will run windows (i.e., a 386).[Of course, then you will want to add a modem and visitthe ANA Home Page.]

A notation program allows you to create a musical pagethat looks like it came out of a music book. Add asoundboard (and a mini-speaker or two) and thecomputer will play the tune you have just entered onthe screen.

Two big benefits: First, if the tune sounds right, youknow your notation has no mistakes. Second, supposeyou have the sheet music of a tune but no recording,and you’re not yet quite adept at rapid sight readingand want to hear a tune before you start hunting for thenotes. Just notate the tune and you can hear it first onthe computer. I do that a lot.

Of course you’ll have to learn to adjust for the verymechanical playing done by the computer. It may notbe perfect, but it can be a help to the isolated playerwho hasn’t yet heard a tune he’s heard about.

Some of the notation programs are large andexpensive like Coda’s Finale and Passport’s Encore.But even they make smaller versions that will notatealmost anything short of a Strauss Tone Poem, likeCoda’s Allegro or Passport’s Rhapsody, which I likesince it can be had for well under $100.

There are some shareware notation programs outthere about which I am pretty uninformed. If anyonehas had success with one, let us know and we’ll sharethe information.

Recordings andBooks for SaleWe are very pleased to announce the availability of thefollowing recordings and books. The ANA will belooking into other sources of recordings, includingsources for cassettes. Contact Gail at the addressbelow with any suggestions.

Cost is (price includes shipping)

To order, fill out the form below and enclose a checkfor the appropriate amount made out to the AmericanNyckelharpa Association.

New RecordingsSeveral new CDs have come out on Tongång sincelast issue, as well as an independently released CDfrom Östnora Folkton.

AWCD18 - i stöten by the Falu Spelmanslag, a verydance-oriented group of around 50 musicians. Therecording was even made at an evening dance, soyou hear all the gusto they put into their music.Very well recorded (not much foot noise) and verylistenable and danceable.

AWCD20 - Slaktar Loberg, Janne i Kärven ..., Lenaand Ingvar Jörpeland (silverbasharpa) and LeifSällqvist (accordion). Lena is the two-time worldchampion in the gammel-harpa class. 27traditional tunes from Northern Uppland, played onturn-of-the-century instruments with turn-of-the-century style. Very rhythmic and driving music.

AWCD21 - Alder, Per O. G. Runberg and ViolinaJuliusdotter. Music inspired by the Viking era ongoat- and cow-horn, tagelharpa, jaw-harp, flutes,bagpipes, and lur. A follow-up to Svarta JordenSång?

AWCD23 - På Vårat Vis (in our own way), Hasse Gilleand Kurt Södergren. 34 Tunes from the Österbyarea, including 22 that they used to play withCeylon Wallin, presented “in our own way” i.e. theway they have shaped the tunes from 20 years ofplaying together. 3 tunes by Hasse on akontrabasharpa from 1787! Very traditional playingon modern, silverbas- and kontrabas-harpas fromthe primary tradition bearers from Österby.

NCB893404 - Östnora Folkton . Three nyckelharpas(Sven Nordin, Ann-Mari Nordin, Kjell Hagberg) andan accordion, with occasional harmonica by Sven.Very traditional playing from a small town 35 kmsouth of Stockholm. English text included. 28tracks.

We also have 3 new books for sale, including one thatI’ve wanted to offer for a long time, the book andcassette “The Nyckelharpa, Past and Present”. Ittraces the historical development of the nyckelharpa,both in pictures and on the cassette (full text in bothSwedish and English).

Please note also that sales of Vilda Väsen are nolonger restricted to ANA members! We can thankNorthSide for buying the rights to the album fromGreen Linnet, who certainly didn’t look like they wereEVER going to put out the CD.

ANA Members Non-Members

CDs $15 $17

Cassettes $8 $10


Nyckelharpa RecordingsDROCD001 - Väsen , a milepost in Swedish music

history! Väsen’s first recording, featuring OlovJohansson, Mikael Marin and Roger Tallroth. Olovwon both categories (modern and old harpa) at thefirst world championships in 1990. A good albumof mostly traditional tunes treated with a touch ofmodern flair (Roger’s guitar playing).

DROCD004 - Vilda Väsen (Wild Väsen), Väsen’ssecond recording. Very high energy, very wild.Mostly traditional tunes with a few composed by theband members. One of my personal favoritealbums, it finds attitudes present in the music andamplifies them.

DROMC004 - Vilda Väsen , on cassette.

DROCD009 - Levande Väsen (Väsen Live). Sweden’sbest live band? From a radio broadcast, it includestalking (in Swedish) on separate tracks from thetunes. A very nice presentation of both traditionaland newly composed tunes with Väsen’s specialstyle and energy.

NSD6004 - Spirit, by Väsen. “Spirit” (one of the Englishtranslations of Väsen, which also include essence,being, nature, character, noise, sounds, fuss, ado,alien, and soul) compiles the band’s work to date,from two Swedish and one French studio album, alive album, and 5 previously unreleased tracks. Atotal of 20 tracks, over 70 minutes.

Please note that Väsen’s 3 rd CD, Essence (AUVIDIS,Ethnic, B6787) is available in many record stores,including Tower Records.

DROCD006 - Till Eric (A Tribute to Eric Sahlström),Six young nyckelharpa virtuosi, including threeworld champions, play 19 of Eric’s compositions. Avery listenable album, with a mix of solo tunes andsmooth ensembles. Very professional andpolished.

AWCD1 - Silverbasharpa Anno 1992, Lena andIngvar Jörpeland play the older style on turn-of-the-century instruments. Silverbasharpa was thedominant form of the nyckelharpa in the hundredyears preceding about 1930, replaced by themodern (3-row chromatic) harpa. It has an oldersound, some say more tinny, but with a lot moreovertones. This album really shows the roots ofmodern playing, with rhythm as important asmelody.

AWCD2 - Puma, Peter “Puma” Hedlund plays modernnyckelharpa. World champion, 1992. Excellentplaying in the tradition following Eric Sahlström.Very crisp and elegant, with a strong sense ofUppland style.

AWCD4 - Hogmarkarna, Esbjörn, Göran and StureHogmark. Very traditional playing by the twins andEsbjörn’s son. Mostly tunes from Uppland onnyckelharpa (either solo or duet) with some fiddletunes by Göran. A good album for dance music.

AWCD7 - Hulling, Dan Sjöberg, Jens Engelbrecht andOla Hertzberg. Hot young group plays traditionaltunes and a few of their own. They have a niceattitude toward the music, and a lot of zest. Theensemble gives a big, full sound that you will love.

AWCD8 - Välsmidet (Well Forged), a collection of thebest Uppland Spelmän play tunes from theJernberg tradition in Österby. Includes Per GustafJernberg, Sture Sahlström, Curt Tallroth, HasseGille, Esbjörn and Sture Hogmark, etc.

AWCD9 - Ur-Uppländskt (totally Uppland), NilsNordström and Ann-Christine Granfors on modern-and gammel- (old) harpa. They’ve been playingtogether for decades, and have a very traditionalstyle and approach to the music.

AWCD-10 L’agréable, music from the 1700’s onnyckelharpa, with Kersti Macklin and the Midgårdensemble. Full text in both Swedish and English.It’s amazing how well the sound of the nyckelharpablends in. This is destined to become one of myfavorites for relaxation.

AWCD15 - Niklas Roswall. Winner of NyckelharpaWorld Championships in the modern-harpa class in1996, this young player features several of hisfriends on his first CD, including band membersfrom Hulling. This recording is well-made andclear, and full of the spirit and gusto and traditionsof Northern Uppland. A great CD.

Other RecordingsDROCD002 - Änglarnas Språk (The Angels’

Language), Magnus Gustafsson, Marie Persson,and Toste Länne play and sing tunes and songsfrom Southern Sweden. The tunes are wellresearched, and the fiddles have two drone strings(like a Hardingfele).

DROCD003 - Högtryck (High Intensity), Erik Pekkari,Riksspelman on durspel (two-row accordion). Avery good album of accordion music (not acontradiction in this case). Erik has developed agreat personal playing style and gathered a uniquerepertoire from southern Sweden.

DROMC003 - Högtryck , on cassette.

DROCD005 - Skärvor , Sågskära is the name of thegroup that has worked hard to bring back thetraditional songs of Småland. The core of this

Nyckel Notes Jul 1997 9group is the same as Änglarnas Språk: MariePersson, Toste Länne and Magnus Gustafsson.

DROCD007 - HÖÖK! Folk- and Baroque-music withindistinct boundaries. Music from hand-writtennotebooks from the 17th and 18th centuries,arranged by Väsen’s Mikael Marin. MagnusGustafsson was the driving force behind this CD,featuring music from a time before the splitbetween classical and folk musics.

DROCD008 - Härjedalspipan . Unique flute music. AleMöller (Härjedalspipa), Mats Berglund (fiddle),Greger Brändström (fiddle), and Lasse Sörlin(fiddle and bousouki). Music of the traditionalwooden fipple flute from Härjedalen in Sweden,which has a long and rich history.

AWCD3 - Å Längtat Haver Jag , singer Eva Tjörnebo.Eva is from Skåne, but has collected tunes from allover Sweden. Some songs are presented solo,most are with accompaniment on instrumentsincluding nyckelharpa, guitar, fiddle, accordion, etc.

AWCD11 - Ingvar Fohlin He plays a variety of buttonaccordions of various sizes and keys. All have arather old sound, and the music is lively and fun.

AWCD14 - Lure. Harald Pettersson, Sweden’s hurdy-gurdy virtuoso with friends, fretting, plucking and

blowing your mind away. Bass, bouzouki, fiddle,viola, viola d’amore, accordion, härjedalspipa,hurdy-gurdy, Swedish bagpipe, sälgflöjt. Awonderful sound, both modern and traditional atthe same time. Many slängpolskas from Skåne.One of my favorites, the very first time I listened toit! A must for every fan of traditional and modernSwedish folk music.

NSD6003 - Hippjokk, by Hedningarna. Hedningarna(AKA “The Heathens”) were one of the first bandsof the new Swedish folk/rock movement to garnerworldwide attention. This is their fourth albumThey look back to medieval melodies andinstruments (including the medieval nyckelharpa)for their source material, but they electrify andsample those traditional sounds and infuse moderndance grooves.

NSD6001 - Quake by Den Fule. Den Fule (pronounced“den foo’-leh,” translated means “the ugly one”) isprimarily a collection of veterans from the ground-breaking Swedish folk-rock scene of the 70s, frombands such as Filarfolket and Groupa. The musicis always rooted in the folk tradition of Sweden, andincredible playing is always at center stage.“Quake” compiles their first two CDs, “Legumleik”and “Skalv”. 18 tracks, over 70 minutes.

NSD6002 - Groove by Hoven Droven. The closestEnglish translation to Hoven Droven is “whatever,”which happens to also describe the band’sapproach to their Swedish folk roots. Takingtraditional melodies and rocking them hard is theband’s most dominant approach. From their twoSwedish releases “Hia Hia” (1994) and “Grov”(1996), plus two previously unreleased live tracks.18 tracks, over 70 minutes.

BooksNyckelharpan Nu och Då (The Nyckelharpa, Past and

Present), by Birgit Kjellström. Book and cassette,full text in both Swedish and English, with lots ofphotographs. Features a history of thenyckelharpa’s development, both in words and onthe cassette, starting with tunes played on themedieval nyckelharpa and progressing to themodern chromatic nyckelharpa. Price: $16members, $18 non-members

AWCD13 - Spela Sälgflöjt by Jean-Pierre Yvert. CDand book, complete instructions for learning to playthe sälgflöjt, the traditional willow flute fromSweden & Norway that has no finger holes. It alsoexplains the musical scale used by this instrument.Full text in both Swedish and English. Price: $22members $25 non-members

The American Nyckelharpa Association

MUSIC ORDER FORM

Name

Street

City State ZIP

Write the number of the recording in the left column,(e.g., DROCD001) and the cost in the right:

Number Price

Total

Mail this form and a check made out to the AmericanNyckelharpa Association to:

Gail HalversonAmerican Nyckelharpa Association

PO Box 1394Venice CA 90294-1394

Nyckel Notes Jul 1997 10Axel Andersson (1909-1996). Axel Andersson,

Riksspelman and recipient of the Zorn Medal inGold, is counted as one of the major Spelmän inSödermanland. In this book, he describes in hisown words how he came to be the one in his familyto carry on the music traditions of his father andgrandfather. 57 tunes are included after Axel andhis wife Elna. In Swedish only. Price: $11members, $13 non-members

AWCD6 - Svarta Jordens Sång (Black Earth’s Song),by Per-Ulf Allmo & Styrbjörn Bergelt. CD and 116-page book (including a full translation to English)featuring Viking-age music on instrumentsmodeled after archeological grave-site discoveries.Background noises such as water and birdsestablish a rich and mythical feel to the album.Price: $22 members, $25 non-members

The ANA will be looking into other sources ofrecordings, including sources for cassettes. ContactGail with any suggestions.

Upcoming Events31 Aug 1997: Scandinavian Fest in Stanhope NJThis is an all-day event to celebrate and promote thecultures, traditions, and current life of the Nordiccountries. Among the scheduled performers isnyckelharpa player Karen Myers, playing for dance andleading buskspel. 10:00 to 5:30, at Waterloo Village inStanhope, NJ: Interstate 80, exit 25. Follow signs toWaterloo Village. (Exit 25 is a bit west of I-287). Formore info, e-mail [email protected].

Leif Alpsjö in US Oct-Nov 1997For up-to-the-minute information on Leif’s itinerary,contact Andrea Larson at 212-228-8727.

16 Oct 1997: Leif in Washington DCLeif will give a concert at 7:30 PM at

International Student House1825 R Street NWWashington DC 20009202-232-4007

This event is sponsored by the Swedish Embassy. Areception will follow the performance.

17 Oct 1997: Leif at the METThis concert is part of the Patron Series, and is NOTopen to the public. Cocktails at 5:30, concert 6-7.Maybe if you call the MET and plead....

18 - 19 Oct 1997: Leif at Skandia DC WorkshopFiddle and nyckelharpa workshops with Leif at thehome of Kerstin Hendrickson in Greenbelt, MD.Contact Kerstin for more info: 301-474-2583 [email protected].

18 Oct 1997: Leif at Skandia DC DanceThere will be a dance 8-11 PM at

Greenbelt Community Center25 Crescent RoadGreenbelt MD.

Leif will teach dances from Uppland from 8-9, and playfor dancing after that. Contact Kerstin Hendrickson formore info: 301-474-2583 or [email protected].

24 - 26 Oct 1997: Leif at Folklore Village, WISwedish Music & Dance Weekend, featuring Edwin'sSpelmän, Leif Alpsjö, and Roo Lester. Workshops onfiddle, nyckelharpa and dance. Send a SASE to

Folklore Village Farm3210 Co. Hwy. BBDodgeville, WI 53533608-924-4000

28 Oct 1997: Leif in Lahaska PALeif will play a concert 8-10 PM at House of Coffee inPeddler’s Village. For more info: 215-794-8220,[email protected], or [email protected]

29 Oct 1997: Leif in New York NYScandia NY fiddle workshop, 7-8 PM. Dance teaching8-9 PM. Request dancing 9-10:30 PM.

Town & Village Synagogue334 East 14th Street (between 1st & 2nd Ave)

Dinner at the Cottage (16th St. & Irving Pl.)beforehand!

30 Oct 1997: Leif in Blue Point NYLeif will play a concert at the Bluepoint Public Library

203 Blue Point AveBlue Point NY 11715516-363-6133

1 Nov 1997: Leif in New York NYScandia NY fiddle workshop, 7-8:30 PM. Dance Party8:30-10:30 PM.

Town & Village Synagogue334 East 14th Street (between 1st & 2nd Ave)


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GammalvänsterPolska efter Johan Hansson, Skucku


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Trans. Bart Brashers, Aug 97

Tierps Polskan

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av Elizabeth FosterSchottis

trans. Bart Brashers, Aug 97

Lilla Schottis


Nyckelharpa Careby Bart Brashers

Caring for Your BowLast May, I had a long conversation with OlovJohansson about bows, and how to take care of them.

He told me to wash it periodically, using normal kitchendishwashing liquid. Loosen the bow greatly, so that thehair can spread out and you can work the soap inbetween the hairs and get out all the grime. Afteryou’ve worked it for a while, rinse it well under coolwater (heat shrinks bow hairs), towel-dry the stick, andleave it to dry. When it’s fully dry, you’ll have to re-rosinit before you can play very well.

Dirty hair won’t hold rosin, and tends to collect moredirt. Plus, if you’re holding your bow the way mostsuggest, your thumb is touching the hair just at the end,next to the frog. No matter how often you wash yourhands, that hair will get greasy and grimy, and collectdirt. I’ve seen some bows with greasy dirt 2 or 3 inchesup from the frog! And since that part won’t hold rosin,you’re effectively reducing the length of your bow.Nyckelharpa bows are short enough already -- youneed all you can get.

A lot of nyckelharpa bows have hairs of differentlengths, so that when you have set the desired tensionthey have a few “strays” that are looser than themajority of the hairs. If they’re on “top” (not the sidethat touches the string) they’re OK, but the ones on thebottom should be removed. Use some small scissorsto cut the hairs, one by one, that are too long. Cutthem in the middle, then pull them tight at the ends andtrim them close. It’s unsightly to have 1/2 inch of a hairsticking out from the tip of your bow, even if it probablywon’t get in the way.

Olov also said he likes to inspect his loosened bowhair, looking for hairs that have kinks or flat spots orblemishes of any kind. These he also removes. A hairwith a kink will give a little skip as they are drawn over astring. It won’t be as smooth, and produce as even atone.

You might think that these details are too small tobother with, that they won’t make much difference. Butyou have to admit, Olov has great tone! It’s so smoothand clear and perfect, that I’ll do whatever I can to helpmyself sound closer to that ideal.

And don’t forget to re-hair your bow every few years!Most nyckelharpa bows have a wooden frog: you caneither replace it with a violin frog or just ask the repairperson to make a new one out of wood. It’s not hard,and they have to old one to see how it’s done.

Editor’s Note

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10/95 1/96 7/96 10/96 1/97 4/97 7/97

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Nyckelharpa players in North America

Member countThere are now 97 nyckelharpa players in NorthAmerica: we’re nearing that magical triple-digit mark!There are now 8 in Canada. Thanks go to DougRippey for finding Meg Thorburn, who lives nearToronto, and to Jack Hirschorn for sending me SimonSpalding’s address.

It definitely looks like exponential growth, or at least anaccelerated linear trend since last October, don’t youthink?

The ANA now has 116 Members; 21 did not renew for1997, of which 10 are nyckelharpa players. 81 of ourmembers play nyckelharpa. 5 of our members live inScandinavia, and 6 in Canada.

Sorry for putting out the July issue 2 1/2 weeks late,after putting out the April issue 2 1/2 weeks late. I hadno extra time in late June or early July to work on it,since I took my General Exam (my Orals) on July 3rd.

Then I had a week to pack up our house. We puteverything in a U-haul on July 12, and started driving.We got to Chapel Hill NC 5 days later, found anapartment that weekend, and moved in.

I flew back to Seattle on July 25, but left immediatelyfor an AMS (American Meteorological Society)conference in Vancouver BC. I didn’t get back in townuntil August 1. Then began the work of tracking downall the contributors and information and the inevitabledelays, which is as usual and expected.

Anyway, here it is. I promise the next one will come outin the same month as it says on the front page!

Varma Hälsningar,

- Bart

1997 Nyckelharpa Stämma Revie · Harris, Garry Nord, Chris von Wunder, and finally to all the...

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Transcript of 1997 Nyckelharpa Stämma Revie · Harris, Garry Nord, Chris von Wunder, and finally to all the...