Midsommar

Now's the time to start getting ready, and I'm happy to report that the Midsommar Committee is hard at work. They have a new web site, at Midsummers Festival dot org. There isn't much content there yet, but it's a very nice interface.

I suggested that we try to get this young woman here for Midsommar.



She's from up north, sings in English and Swedish, plays guitar, knows the old songs and the new ones. The video above is her singing a song from Chess - which was written in English so far as I know - in Swedish. He name is Elina Järventaus Johansson. I think she has a very pretty voice and I'd love to see her come, if that's at all possible.

I don't know what the committee has planned, and I trust that they'll do the very best that can for the festival. I'm just putting in my two cents worth.

Midsommar Days 1 and 2

I've already posted one about Tiny Toads. I'm pretty pooped right now. We leave tomorrow for Chicago, Sweden, Chicago, Minnesota. I'm pretty much packed, but probably not as well as I should be. I say this as a way of explaining both my somewhat rambling posts and as a way of saying that I'll be posting less frequently in the next few weeks.

If I can find places to download photos, I'll do that. I have video of Alf's entire Friday presentation, and I'll edit that in Mid july when I get home.

It was, overall, a good midsommar, though I got overheated. It's funny what happens when you get over heated. The least little comment can make you take things seriously that aren't meant seriously. The heat also makes you say things you otherwise wouldn't have said.

But it was a good day for Rotary. We probably made enough on Midsommar that we'll be able to fund our Bethany College Scholarship from this one event. It's a small scholarship, but we're proud of it.

The Folkdanslag acquited themselves well, I thought. Dr. Frederickson keeps us on our toes, and so does Charlotte.

The Toads got to rocking in the Heritage park.

The Majstång went up with no one being crushed under the weight of the pole. Lots of people came out and danced.

So it was a good day. Tomorrow comes the rain.

I'll try to keep friends and neighbors posted from the road and read comments, but it won't be as often as I would like, Anybody who needs to keep us all up to date on something happening in Lindsborg, please add it to the comments section. Particularly updates on Damn Yankees. Folks out of town are reading to keep up with the show.

See you in a few weeks.

Kalle

Warm Up for Saturday

It's going to be a busy day next Saturday, with Tiny Toads, children's games, food and dancing, dancing, dancing.

At the end of the day we'll have everybody gather round the Majstång, the May pole, at the Heritage park. The Lindsborg Swedish Dancers, and the Lindsborg Folkdanslag will both perform, the pole will be raised, we'll march around it and then do Små Grodorna and Prästens lilla kroka and other songs everyone should know. These are called, in Sweden, "Stamsånger" or "Group Songs." According to the Swedish Wikipedia, these are the songs that everyone in Sweden should know and be able to sing. The songs include "Du Gamla, Du fria" - the Swedish national anthem and "Kungssången", sometimes known by its first line, "Ur svenska hjärtans djup en gång", a phrase I would not attempt to translate. Stamsånger include the Norwegian, Finnish, Danish and Icelandic national songs. That's like asking Americans to sing "O Canada." I mean, I like O Canada and always appreciate hearing it sung at hockey games, but I can never get past "O Can a da, my own my native land," and then I have to hum the tune. It's the same with "Ja, vi elsker detta landet", the Norwegian National Anthem. After the first five words, I have to keep the paper in front of me.

I can sing all of Du Gamla, du fria, du fjällhöga nord", both verses. I think I might be able to recognize the Danish national anthem. I have no idea about the Finnish or the Icelandic tunes.

So it's time to warm up for Saturday. Google "Du Gamla, du fria." The words are in Wikipedia in both English and Swedish, including a never sung 3rd verse, so it's a good source for the Swedish national song.

In the meantime you might also want to learn the final "Stamsång" of the evening, "Vem kan segla", "Who can sail without the wind." We sing it at the end of each Midsommar. There's a nice piece of sheet music with an English translation - though not the one we sing here, at this link "Who can sail".

You can also take a look at a little Danish folkdancing. Here's our group performing Danish sextur last Saturday in Wichita:



On the other hand, here's a Swedish dance group performing in Stockholm.



It's pretty short, but it gives you an idea of the difference between Swedish American folk dancing and Swedish Swedish folk dancing.

Thursday Dancing

Thursday, the Lindsborg Folkdanslag got a first chance to warm up for midsommar.

As I look at last year's video of the folks from Mora, Sweden, I am gratified to know that the same place we often go wrong in this dance, they went wrong. The most difficult part of Åttamän engel is keeping your head on when you're spinning. The dancers have to chain in one direction, spin with their partner and go back the same direction they came. See if you can spot the error

Midsommar Arrives

The Lindsborg Folkdanslag lowered the Majstång in Heritage park tonight, and worked on dances for this week and next. Midsommar celebrations are almost here.

There will be changes this year. "Tiny Toads," a variation on the "Små grodorna" theme, will be doing a street concert as well as playing at the festival in Swensson Park. That´s different. The same dance groups will be back, but Folkdanslag has at least one new dance to bring to the performance. I don´t know about the Swedish Folkdancers, the high school group.

We won't have a Swedish dance group this year. Here is video of the Mora Folkdanslag of Mora Sweden from the 2006 festival performing one of my favorite dances, "Schottis i tur." It's a fun dance to watch and a fun dance to perform.



There will be at least one change in the food at the festival park. The Rotary club will be offering a Swedish Meatball plate or an all American Hotdog (it'll be a Nathans).

And there will be a Swedish Vespers service, with Alf Brorson preaching. You'll remember Alf. He's a frequent visitor to Lindsborg, from Sunnemö, Värmland, Sweden. He'll preach, but I don't know who will lead the liturgy. Charlotte Anderson is going to be gone. I'm going to be gone. We're running out of Swedish Speakers willing to lead the liturgy.

Well, it will be Midsommar i alla fall.

A New Start

I've been out of the blogging business for some time now. I'm getting back into the business because I have some time before heading off on vacation - and I've some news to share.

I'll be adding news about the development of Damn Yankees as soon as that gets underway. Other cultural news? I'll report on what I know about Midsommar and other developments, but I'll need your help to keep current for the summer.

I hope I'll keep interest without getting quite as messy as we got on the old Xanga blog. I know that controversy makes for an interesting time, but we did sometimes generate more heat than light last year.

Lindsborg Folkdanslag is dancing downtown in two weeks, getting ready for Midsommar. Come out on Thursday evening, June 7th, 6:30 pm. Up top's a photo from Helen Weaver from the last time Folkdanslag danced downtown.