"The Great Fiddle Competition of 1912"
Tuesday, July 22, 2003 - Stoughton Opera House, Stoughton, Wisconsin
and
Saturday, July 26, 2003, 7:00 pm - Urness Hall, St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota
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The Scene
Imagine yourself in a packed auditorium with hundreds of other Norwegians — some newly immigrated, some firmly established here in the New Land. The main language being spoken is Norwegian — a beautiful musical dialect from your home valley ... maybe Telemark, maybe Valdres. Everyone around you is hungry to hear the sound of the beloved home country — the Hardanger fiddle, played by the best spelemenn (players) in the area. It is a competition and one of the spelemenn will go home that evening with extra money in their pocket or maybe a medal, or even a new fiddle. The lights go down and the music begins....
Fykerud's Farvel til Amerika (Farewell to America)
Hardanger fiddlers led by Loretta Kelley
Hardangerfele Dance Party
Welcome
Hallgrim Berg, Master of Ceremonies
Tune from Voss in West Norway
Leif Rygg
Dances from Voss
Rudl and Vossaspringar by Anna and Knut Blikberg, dancers, accompanied by Leif Rygg
Tunes from Setesdal in Southern Norway
Vidar Lande
Dance from Valdres in Central Norway
Valdresspringar by Mary and Olav Jørgen Hegge, dancers, accompanied by Bernt Balchen
Seljefløyte and Munnharpe
Hallgrim Berg
Dance from Hallingdal in Central Norway
Hallingspringar by Karin Brennesvik and Hallgrim Berg, dancers, accompanied by Karin Code
Tune from Voss
Andrea Een
Stories and Stev
Olav Sem
Tune from Telemark in South Central Norway
Toby Weinberg
INTERMISSION
Røros Dance Party
Jan Frostvoll, regular fiddle, accompanies Rørospols
Adventure Tale and Song
Judith Simundson
Dance from Telemark
Telespringar by Margit Nellis and Kjartan Code, Karin Brennesvik and Tom Løvli, accompanied by Torgeir Straand
Tune from Telemark
Hauk Buen
Dance from Buskerud
Numedal gangar by Karin Brennesvik and Tom Løvli, accompanied by Hauk Buen
Halling Dance
Kjartan Code, Knut Blikberg, Tom Løvli, dancers, accompanied by Hauk Buen
The Scene Closes
The kappleik has ended. It has been a wonderful day of celebration and excitement with others who share the love of the Hardanger fiddle and its dances. The immigrants and their families have had a full day talking with friends and relatives seldom seen, forming new friendships and hearing news of home. Filled with tunes, images, and memories of their Norwegian traditions, these traditions have found a new homeland.