NUMBER 54 www.nyckelharpa.

org FALL 2014

powered us around the dance floor and eventually to

a crazy contraption called a nyckelharpa. It was love
at first sight and we dove right into the deep end of a
whole new discipline. It was a sink or swim situa-
Swedish Folk Music Treasures tion. We eagerly embraced the steep learning curve
and are still at it. Discovering Swedish dance and
by Rita Flodén Leydon music allowed me the chance to reconnect with my
©2014 Rita Leydon roots. I was home.
I signed up for several summer sessions of
If you had suggested to me twenty years ago nyckelharpa instruction at Ekebyholm in Rimbo
that I would one day be making films I would have where I met lots of other players and great teachers.
brushed the comment off as being absurd. But here I This is where I met Peter Puma Hedlund and the rest
am, doing just that. Many things happened that led is history as they say. He shared a dream he had
me to become a one woman production team focus- about making a series of teaching DVDs on how to
ing single-mindedly on documenting mature masters play nyckelharpa. I nonchalantly suggested we work
of the nyckelharpa and fiddle: the tradition bearers together to make this happen even though I barely
of music primarily from Uppland and surrounding knew what a DVD was. He agreed and we became
areas. Music does not seem to observe borders. partners. The result was a set of three teaching
In a business sense, this pursuit of mine is DVDs that have spread nyckelharpa literacy and
absurd for there is no market to speak of for my playing literally around the world one person at a
products (DVD films) and thus, no measurable in- time.
come from my efforts. So why do it? Because it Inside:
needs to be done. It is vitally important that our Swedish Folk Music Treasures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
treasure trove of shared musical heritage be docu-
Busking With Nyckelharpa by Ellen Adamson. . . . . . 4
mented and preserved for study by future genera-
tions before it becomes lost in the vast background Jan Ling’s Nyckelharpan Chapt. 7 continued. . . . . 5-7
noise we refer to as “world music”. I do it for love. Slängpolska efter Magnus Juringius (music) . . . . . . . . 8
This music is part of the loam that holds our roots. Swedish Folk Music Treasures : Hasse Gille . . . . . 9-10
A little background. I was born in A Step in Time, CD review by Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Stockholm and spent my first ten years in Sweden. Tidlösa valsen, CD review by Rita Leydon . . . . . . . . 12
In 1960 my parents moved the family to USA and Summer Nyckelharpa Class in Italy V. Campajola . . .13
never looked back. I however, nurtured a longing for
Lee’s Nyckelharpa Story by Lee Bonacker. . . . . . . . .14
what was lost to me. About 25 years into my mar-
riage I told my husband Chris that if I didn’t learn to Carring on Tradition by Trella Hastings . . . . . . . 15-17
dance the hambo my soul would shrivel up and die. Brudpolska efter Wilhelm Gelotte (music) . . . . . . . 18
So we took up Swedish dancing. We both thrived. String Bazaar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
This led to a keen awareness of the music that Dear Nyckel Note Readers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
# 54 - FALL 2014
Swedish Folk Music Treasures continued paraphernalia and allowed to film to my hearts con-
This was quite an achievement and I should have tent in order to share them with others.
stopped with that. But by then I knew how film cam-
eras worked and I had learned DVD programming I took a several year hiatus from my work
and production plus I had all this great equipment. because Chris and I sold our farm in Pennsylvania,
Peter took me under his wing and as part of packed up and moved west to Colorado where we
my education, he introduced me to many wonderful built a home high in the Rocky Mountains. Recently
older musicians who had been instrumental in his I returned from a new filming trip to Sweden where I
own musical evolution: mentors and idols, people he filmed four additional musicians whom I felt worthy
loved and revered. He opened doors and led me to of documentation: Pelle Björnlert, Christer Wess-
his own inner circle of precious relationships. He tröm, Thore Härdelin and my old friend Peter Puma
wanted me to understand the depth of reverence and Hedlund. In the intervening years, our “older” musi-
thankfulness he felt for his own personal musical cians seem to have gotten younger, or maybe I am
roots. I was a good student. I was totally smitten by the one who has gotten older. In any case, time
all the gentle souls I met who played heavenly music moves on and the young canons become the new old
for me in their kitchens and parlors. I yearned to masters and mentors of yet another generation of
share these experiences with friends back home in younger players. It has always been this way. This is
America—share with lovers and students of Swedish partly what defines and characterizes music as tradi-
music everywhere. Music doesn’t come from black tional. It ages and changes and passes on to the
dots on lined paper, it pours from the heart and soul youngsters who do it all over again and again and yet
of the person making the music and directly into the again.
receptive ear of a listener who is stirred and inspired
in turn. I wanted others to experience similar inti- I am currently happily engaged in the task of
mate kitchen or parlor moments and the way to do it spending hours and hours editing my newly captured
was with film. footage and trusting that in a year or so four new
I figured someone must surely already be DVDs will emerge and join the other nine titles in
documenting this authentic treasure trove for study my series which I call Swedish Folk Music Treas-
by future generations. But no, no such efforts ures.
seemed to be underway. Really? How could this be? I am the first to agree that my scope is lim-
These musicians were not getting any younger. I ited. My area of interest has been Uppland and the
sensed a tinge of extreme urgency. An germ of an nyckelharpa primarily. This has been such a fertile
idea formed and quickly developed into action on field with so very much to harvest that I have not had
my part. My first subject was going to be Curt Tall- a chance to spread my wings much further. I am one
roth, the last remaining brother in a family of fa- person with limited resources. There is ample room
mously rowdy musicians. Olov Johansson of Väsen for another to arise and take up this same task: step to
had been mentored by Curt in his youth and had the plate and begin documenting elderly musicians in
agreed to play with Curt in my film. Then the un- other areas of Sweden. We all know our land is full
thinkable happened. All of a sudden Curt died! Oh of rich traditions in all its far reaching corners. The
no! I panicked. There was no time to lose. In quick musical landscape is changing fast all around us and
succession I arranged to film the handful of mature I fear that the older regional dialects of musical ex-
masters I considered crucial to document. First up pression may disappear if we don’t shine a light on
was Nisse Nordström playing with Puma. This was them and make sure others are aware of the rich cul-
followed by Tore Lindqvist, Hasse Gille, Styrbjörn tural heritage that is ours to discover, treasure and be
Bergelt, Sture Sahlström, Anders Liljefors, Bosse proud of.
Larsson, Mats Andersson, and Björn Ståbi, until I
had made nine films which I released on DVD for
anyone to purchase. Time has passed and we have To learn more about Rita’s DVDs go to:
lost four of these Musical Treasures. I am ever grate-
ful that I was granted access to their world with my
www.ritaleydon.com
# 54 - FALL 2014

Rita Leydon’s DVDs have

been reviewed in the follow-
ing Nyckel Notes Issues:

Nisse Nordström in #53

Styrbjörn Bergelt in #47

Sture Sahlström in #45

Hasse Gille in this issue #54

Pelle Björnlert on the left, Rita Leydon in the middle & Johan Hedin on the right,

SWEDISH FOLK MUSIC TREASURES

Nisse Nordström Tore Lindqvist Hasse Gille

Styrbjörn Bergelt Sture Sahlström Anders Liljefors

Bosse Larsson Mats Andersson Björn Ståbi

# 54 - FALL 2014
Busking with Nyckelharpa want to be approachable and encourage interaction.
by Ellen Adamson 3. Be sure to open your case or put out a container
I first learned about Nyckelharpa at Ashokan for tips. People want to reward you so make it easy
Fiddle Camp in 2012. Since I fell in love with the for them!
instrument immediately, I took advantage of the op- 4. Try to learn some familiar tunes to mix in with the
portunity for lessons with Matt Fichtenbaum. After less familiar Swedish music. I added some fiddle
camp, I borrowed an instrument while I waited for tunes and even learned “The Rains of Castamere”
my Harry Hedbom harpa to arrive. During the year from Game of Thrones. (Big hit)
that I waited (impatiently) I set myself a goal to 5. Make sure you know local ordinances about busk-
learn enough music to play for at least an hour. ing. Some cities allow amplification and some do
There are no other players near me so I relied on not. You may need a license in larger cities. I pur-
You Tube videos and recordings to get the feel of chased a small battery powered amp that is light and
the music. It gave me a goal to work toward and portable. I use a pick-up that sticks to the top of the
kept me seeking out music from various sources. instrument.
The very day that my harpa arrived I was invited to 6. Pick your spot wisely. Make sure you have some
travel to Cooperstown, NY to meet Peter Hedlund shade or shelter nearby and move if you are not com-
and play a few tunes with friends! What a treat! fortable or in a good traffic spot. Be respectful of
Since that time I have continued to pursue my goal other buskers and don’t crowd their space.
and have been busking on the main street of my 7. Have business cards on hand for those who are
small town and at local farmers markets. interested. I have gotten several bookings this way.
The first benefit of busking is learning to 8. Be gracious about pictures. I don’t know how
concentrate amid many distractions. It really tested many times I have been asked if it is okay to post a
my memory and technique and made it clear which picture on Facebook. ABSOLUTELY!!
tunes were really under my fingers and which were 9. Have fun with kids. They are the most apprecia-
not. I also learned that I will be interrupted con- tive of a few minutes of interaction. I especially love
stantly by passers-by who ask “What in the world is talking with young fiddlers and cellists. I have even
that?” I am thrilled to talk about this wonderful in- let them try bowing while I play a simple tune.
strument but found I was talking more than playing 10. Learn new music and have fun!!! Even if you are
on some days. When I was asked to play at a large not playing so well on a given day it is still such a
indoor farmers market in Schenectady, I actually
made a poster explaining the instrument and placed
in on an easel nearby. This gave the casual observer
some information although I was still frequently
stopped to talk. I have decided that no poster is best
and to treat the experience as an educational oppor-
tunity first and a performance opportunity second.
I don’t busk specifically to earn money so
any tips I receive help feed my collection of re-
cordings. Some buskers do earn a living and it is
hard work to be out there every day so make sure
you always tip when you hear something you enjoy. beautiful sound that people
So far, here are some things I have learned about will love it!
busking. I offer this advice to anyone who is
tempted to get out there and just play.
Ellen’s Busking Guidelines
1. Play tunes you love and can play well. Your au- Busking has been a great experience and it keeps
dience will respond to your level of commitment to me working on my playing and my repertoire. It
the music. is a great way to build confidence and to expose
2. Smile and make eye contact frequently. You more people to this wonderful music!
# 54 - FALL 2014
JAN LINGS NYCKELHARPAN with respect to their key technique: the position of
English pages translated by Patrick Hort . Originally the keys is so ingrained in their memory that they
published by P.A. Norstedt & Söner, Stockholm, 1967 have great difficulty switching to the chromatic in-
strument. Many of them are unable to acquire a new
Chapter 7 - Key technique Continued fixed fingering and consequently they tend to strike
the wrong key because they lapse into the older in-
Chromatic Keyed Fiddle strument’s fingering. This renders them uncertain,
The extension of the key mechanism repre- with the result that they resort to different kinds of
sented by the chromatic keyed fiddle has resulted in one-finger techniques and their performance suffers
something of a revolution in key techniques. The accordingly. (Cf. above concerning bowing tech-
hand does not have to shift up and down the keys niques).
as often, since in many situations the player can Special fingerings have been developed for
simply change to a different row of keys. As a re- the different types of keyed fiddle but there are also
sult, it is not always most convenient to play in C features that are common to them all. Besides a rela-
major; there may be technical advantages in play- tively universal fingering that appears to be idiomatic
ing certain melodies in other keys. for the instrument, there are individual characteristics
Eric Sahlström has developed an idiomatic which usually involve an impairment of the playing
fingering for the chromatic keyed fiddle that corre- technique. An example is the one-finger technique
sponds to Joel Jansson’s achievement for the silver- mentioned above. A player who sticks to a limited
drone instrument. The fingering is adapted in de- repertoire is liable to have a rigid fingering since he
tail to the instrument’s key mechanism. Sahlström does not have to keep revising it to cope with new
plays older melodies, which are of great technical melodies.
difficulty, as well as his own compositions in a re- In many respects the changes in key tech-
lated style, and it would be difficult to improve on nique are related to the development of the instru-
his fingering (cf. [162]). Quaver polskas and ment. It follows that one should be cautious about
waltzes are embellished with a profusion of trills drawing conclusions concerning key techniques in
and semiquaver figures that similarly call for a con- earlier periods on the basis of more recent sources.
siderable technique with the keys [160] --[162]. There are essential differences in the design of the
[Ed. note: Examples 160-162 may be found in playing mechanisms even between the contra-drone
the previous issue, No. 53 - Winter 2013, pages keyed fiddle and the simple keyed fiddle, not to men-
11-12.] Sahlström accordingly uses fixed changes tion the instruments without resonance strings. The
of position and always shifts his hand to a suitable latter in their turn are by no means a homogeneous
position. type. The Mora instrument, for instance, probably
The fingerings for a particular figuration is required quite another key technique than did the in-
often repeated exactly even when it occurs in dif- strument from Vefsen. It is thus impossible to draw
ferent melodies. any definite conclusions about key technique in for-
The fingerings used by Sahlström in the mer times apart from the one mentioned above in
melodies analyzed have been compiled in Fig. connection with the position of the key hand, which
[167], (Below). has had a specific effect on the playing technique for

Players who have taken up the chromatic all keyed fiddles.

keyed fiddle after previously playing the silver-
drone instrument tend to fall between two schools
Drone, mixture double stops and chords: next page
# 54 - FALL 2014
. Drone, mixture, double stops and chords When separate notes occasionally are played on the
second melody string this is done with the very tip of
Drone and mixture the bow, the drone strings are left free and the drone
Instruments which give one or several con- is momentarily silent ([151], bar 1, section 1 on the
tinuously sounding tones accompanying the melody record).
tones proper are usually know as drone instruments. Contra-drone keyed fiddle,
With respect to its construction, the keyed fiddle can and simple keyed fiddle
be said to have been a drone instrument up to the All the contra-drone keyed fiddles studied
chromatic fiddle. Drone effects are still a feature of here were drone instruments with one--and later dur-
the keyed fiddle music that is performed by players ing the 19th century two--drone strings between the
with contra-drone double-keyed fiddles and by cer- melody strings.
tain players with silver-drone instruments. In earlier The group of keyed fiddles with resonance
times, use was also made of a type of ‘mixture’, i.e. a strings that has been termed simple keyed fiddles in
‘coupling’ of tow or more melody strings. this study may have had a combination of drone and
Contra-drone double keyed fiddle mixture, i.e. the two melody strings were stopped si-
Like the contra-drone keyed fiddle, the double multaneously. One or two strings beyond the melody
-keyed version of this is designed for a continuous string(s) have also been played on but were not
drone. The tuning of the drone string that lies be- stopped and consequently must have served as drone
tween the melody strings has been changed and strings.
adapted to various musical fashions (see above). Keyed fiddles without resonance strings
Unlike the ordinary contra-drone instrument, the dou- These keyed fiddles, the oldest extant, have
ble-keyed version has a c-drone in addition to the g- key mechanisms which demonstrate that they were
drone. It actually has a third drone, since the melody drone instruments or had a combination of drone and
string introduced from the silver-drone type of instru- mixture. Some of the keys on the Vefsen instrument
ment is not used except for occasional double tones have tangents for
and is placed as a drone string, tuned to c¹. The stopping no less than
drones thus produce the tones c¹--g--c and the g four strings (see Fig.
string--- even though it is flanked by two c strings -- [7]). Probably, how-
is the most prominent. ever, these were not
Although both Gille and Vickman us a rela- all melody strings.
tively light bowing pressure the g drone produces a The player has
humming sound (particularly if the instrument is worked out various
tuned to a certain pitch. Each stroke of the bow pro- combinations of tones
duces an accentuation of the drone, which thus forms which can be fitted
a kind of rhythmical accompaniment. These two into a melody and has
players pointed out that this was particularly impor- realized these by si-
tant when playing for dancing. In the rapid skipping multaneously stop-
waltzes ([152] section 2 on the record) there is a ping strings (mixture
strong emphasis on the first beat of each bar, whereas strings) and using
in polskas and marches all three and four beats re- ‘free’ strings (drone
spectively are emphasized in this way ([151], [153] strings).
ex. 1 and 3, section 1 on the record). [Ed. note: 151
Fig [7] Key mecha-
-153 written music examples may be found in
nism of the Vefsen
Nyckel Notes #52, pages 19-21]
instrument:
The drone sounds at the same strength
____, melody string;
throughout a melody except when the player changes
__.__.__.drone
to the second melody string; the pressure of the bow
string;
is then lighter and the drone consequently weaker.
Third & fourth strings may __x__x, mixture
be use as mixture or drone. string.
# 54 - FALL 2014
. The angels playing keyed fiddles in church
paintings hold the bow in a fist grip that indicates a
playing technique which does not permit the use of
one string at a time. An exception is the mural in the
Häverö church paint-
ings (see painting on
left) though here there
are considerable prob-
lems concerning the
interpretation of the
bow grip.
Both extant
instruments and the
majority of sources
thus provide evidence
of a drone and mixture
practice.
Sachs (1920:
173 f.) and Bes-
saraboff (1941: 258
ff.) have suggested that
the middle bout was
developed in order to
make it possible to
play on one string at a
time. Whether this
theory is correct or not
(cf. Hickmann 1950: 8
ff.; Bachmann 1964:
49 f.), it is irrelevant in
the case of the keyed
fiddle. Here the mid-
Photo by Lennart Adsten
dle bout has no such
function, even on the chromatic model. This detail
has been copied from other bowed instruments and
hardly affects the playing technique.

Above: The extant Vefsen instrument which is Double stops

currently at the Scenkonst Museet (Swedish Mu- Silver-keyed fiddle
seum of Performing Arts). The museum is closed According to Sachs, the stringing of the lira
from 30 March 2014 until 2016 for renovation. da braccio was a result of a new attitude to the
The instrument was transferred some unknown drone: ‘Der Fiedler musste also von seinem Bordun
time ago to the Swedish Musical Instrument Mu- unabhängig gemacht werden, er musste die Freiheit
seum which is now morphing into the Scenkonst bekommen, ihn anzustreichen, wenn er wollte, and
Museet. ihn ruhen zu lassen, wenn er es für nötig
hielt’ (Sachs 1920: 177). [Ed note: Loosely trans-
. lated Curt Sachs said that the ‘fiddler’ must also
be able to be free from the drone strings when he
wishes and let the drone strings rest.]
# 54 - FALL 2014
[Ed: The next section of Chapter 7, Key Tech- Below: Two versions of an old tune from the
nique: will be continued in the next Nyckel Notes, 1700s. Magnus Juringius was from Östergöt-
land, Linköping, Tåby. Found in the SMUS,
Issue no. 55. Double stops. Silver-drone keyed
MMD1, dated 1786. Also played in Småland
fiddle. Jan Ling explains how the playing tech- during the same time period. More information
nique of the contra-drone instrument with its at: http://www.folkwiki.se/Musik/27.
continuous drone was converted into techniques
[Ed: Listen to Aryeh Frankfurter’s version from
for the silver-drone instrument. ]
his CD: A Step in Time.]
# 54 - FALL 2014

SWEDISH FOLK MUSIC TREASURES: HASSE GILLE

What you are about to enjoy is the third offering of the Swedish Folk Music Treasures series featuring Hasse
Gille playing with Anders Mattsson. I first encountered Hasse very late one evening during the 2000 Österby
stämma—held during June every year in Uppland, Sweden—when Peter Puma Hedlund took me in hand to go visit his
good friend Hasse who lived just down the street in one of the old wooden houses adjacent to the weekend festivities.
Hasse, in turn, led me by the hand to show me where he builds nyckelharpas (in a tiny workshop tucked high up under
the eaves) and his beloved cornet that takes him to the New Orleans jazz scene just about every year. But this is a docu-
mentary about Hasse Gille, the nyckelharpa player, tradition bearer and 1992 world champion of the gammelharpa
class.
I met Anders Mattsson a couple of years before I met Hasse, at a week long Scandinavian dance and music
camp held that year in Maryland, USA. Anders was a freshly minted world champion of the chromatic nyckelharpa and
I was just learning the basics of how to hold my nyckelharpa. Anders is, of course, one of the brightest lights among
Sweden’s cadre of young nyckelharpa virtuosos. He was thrilled (as was I) that Hasse invited him to be his counterpart
on this project. Hans “Hasse” Gille was born July 28, 1931 in Österby, an ironworks village in Uppland, Sweden. He
enjoyed a long playing partnership with Kurt Södergren and they made a recording titled “På vårat vis” released on the
Tongång label—true blue traditional nyckelharpa music answering to no one but themselves. The following is my trans-
lation of the liner notes from that cd, reprinted with the gracious consent of Per-Ulf Allmo.
Hasse has been at the helm of “Brukssextetten” in Österby since 1985. That was the year a pile of dusty old
written notes from the time of the old sextet in Dannemora came to light. Hasse had been playing music since his early
teens back home in Österby, but it wasn’t until a family move to Björneborg in Värmland when © 2004 Rita Leydon he
was fourteen that he got really fired up. That’s where he discovered the trumpet and took lessons in nearby Kristine-
hamn. A few years later he heard the sea calling and set off for adventures far and wide, returning to Österby in 1956.
He married, raised a family and settled into life as an iron smith. He never could stay very far away from music and
even had his own dance band (1959–1966) as well as playing with the Örbyhus wind ensemble. By and by, he decided
that music was more important to him than laboring at the ironworks, and in 1974 he gave final notice. Ever since then,
music has been central to his life. The nyckelharpa came into Hasse’s field of vision with Eric Sahlström around 1968–
69. The idea of offering building courses had percolated around the foundry for a while and in 1970 Hasse signed up
for the very first session led by Eric. He quickly learned a few tunes and after that there was no stopping him. He built a
second harpa, also of the chromatic Sahlström type, for a friend. But by the time he got to building a third harpa he was
looking back in time to an older type—the silverbasharpa. Several years later, he was an established builder,
“spelman” (player), and study circle leader, with solid contacts to all heavyweights in the
nyckelharpa world. He earned the coveted title “Riksspelman” (fiddler of the realm) in 1974 and became world cham-
pion on the gammelharpa in 1992.
I firmly believe that simple is beautiful, and in keeping with that, I make no pretense in my productions. The
filming is straight forward and direct shot on location with available light. Nothing is practiced or planned on my behalf,
other than setting up a time to meet and fi lm. Although this approach may sound haphazard in view of the seriousness
of my stated intent—it is not. These musicians have spent a lifetime honing their craft and the music is part of who they
are. I feel strongly that this approach is the only way to preserve authenticity and lively spontaneity between my sub-
jects and thus approximate an honest meeting of two spelmen such as it might be if there were no cameras or micro-
phones present. It is meetings like this, in private homes all over Sweden, that keep the music alive and moving forward
from one generation to the next. My job is to be a fly on the wall. I use two Canon gl1 video cameras, one on a tripod
and one in my hands, and two external shotgun microphones to capture sound. Editing is done on Macintosh computers
with Final Cut Pro. There will be ambient noise and other unexpected rumbles that neither I nor my subjects have any
control over. The thing to do is to just sit back and enjoy being a welcome guest in the home of one of the masters of
Swedish folk music, in this case, Hasse Gille. Enjoy seeing the respect and mutual admiration between Hasse and An-
ders— the give and take—as they while away a few hours playing together one snowy late winter day. Allow the music
and joyful banter to draw you in. You will be right there in the room with us. You are in for a real treat! —Rita Leydon
November 2004
To order DVDs: www.ritaleydon.com
[Ed. Note: A wonderful, inspiring DVD treasure that every harpa player should have. See next page: ]
# 54 - FALL 2014

1. Harpar-Klas gånglåt, trad. från Österbybruk 1:46

2. Vals efter Sal’makar Kalle, trad. från Österbybruk 1:35 Swedish Folk Music Treasures
3. Örbyhuspolskan, trad. efter Knypplar Pelle 2:19
4. Polkett efter Gås-Anders, trad. 1:58
Hasse Gille: Disc One
5. Ida två, trad. efter Smultrongärds Ida 1:54
6. Brännvinslåten, trad. efter Gås-Anders 1:33 LIST OF TUNES: Tracks 1-29
7. Dannemoravalsen, trad. efter Pelle Hellgren 2:12
8. De Geers polska, trad. från Lövstabruk 3:15
9. Springvals efter Båtsman Däck, trad. 1:35
10. Adam och Eva, trad. från Dalahusby 2:06
11. Skålarna, trad. efter Byss Calle 2:59
12. Mungalåten, trad. 2:47
13. När jag tittar ut, så tittar jag in, trad. vals från Österbybruk 2:11
14. Schottis i nattskjortan, trad. efter Nisse Nordström 1:39
15. Samlingsmarsch, trad. efter Sågar Bodín och Byss Calle 1:45
16. Stures 80-års låt, av Hasse Gille 1:41
17. Springvals, trad. efter Båtsman Däck 2:28
18. Gelottes g-mollpolska, av Wilhelm Gelotte 3:06
19. Tobo polketten, av Eric Sahlström 1:51
20. Norrmandrillen, trad. efter Ceylon Wallin 2:03
21. Gåsvikar’ns vals, trad. 1:38
22. Farmorspolskan, trad. efter Ceylon Wallin 2:53
23. Springvals från Valö, trad. efter Båtsman Däck 2:06 Anders
24. Svenskens polkett, trad. 1:53 Mattsson
25. Näcken och Sko Ella, trad. 2:53
26. Sporrbackslåten, av Hasse Gille 2:33
27. Österbystålet, av Hasse Gille 1:31
28. Gustav III:s drickslåt, trad. efter Olof Hellstedt from Tobo 1:59
29. Byss Calle slängpolska, trad. 1:55
. . . . . . . . . . . disc two . . . . . . . . .
30. Polska efter Wesslén, trad. 1:31
31. Polkett från Lövstabruk #1, trad. 1:23
32. Polkett från Lövstabruk #2, trad. 1:42
33. Talgoxen, trad. 1:51
34. Brudkronan, av Anders Mattsson 2:43
35. Ullis vals, av Hasse Gille 1:22 Swedish Folk Music Treasures
36. Springvals, trad. 1:45 Hasse Gille: Disc Two
37. Vall-låt från Valö, trad. efter Ceylon Wallin 2:15
38. Silverlåt, trad. polska från Lövstabruk 1:54
39. Upplands brudmarsch, trad. 2:08 LIST OF TUNES: Tracks 30-53
40. Byggna’n, trad. av Byss Calle 3:43
41. Forsmarkar’n, trad. polska efter Kopparslagare Satz 2:32
42. Styfbergs polska, trad. 1:39
43. Rapp-Kalles vals, trad. 2:45
44. Långbacka Jans polska, trad. 2:17
45. Byss Calle polska, trad. efter Daniel Skärberg 2:02
46. Flatstenspolska, trad. efter Ceylon Wallin 2:15
47. Polska från Hållnäs, trad. 2:56
48. Katten och Missen, trad. vals från Österbybruk 1:34
49. Skojar’n, trad. 1:31
50. Polska efter Joel Jansson, trad. 2:22
51. Fröken ska få löken för en krona, trad. e. Nisse Nordström 2:23
52. Elingevalsen, av Kalle Karlsson efter Karl Ågren 2:12
53. Valö brudmarsch, trad. efter Ceylon Wallin 2:37
# 54 - FALL 2014

CD Review
A Step in Time
Aryeh Frankfurter, Nyckelharpa
Aryeh talks about his music:

“Beginning in 2007, the focus of my musical

craft began shifting away from the Celtic harp to the
Swedish nyckelharpa. This shift took a dramatic shift
in 2012 when I was given the opportunity to pur-
chase a nyckelharpa from Sören Åhker, aminent
Swedish luthier. Inspired by the instrument, encour-
aged by listeners and friends, and heeding my chang-
ing interests, my dedication to this instrument and
Swedish folk music has taken deeper root and grown
more passionate than ever.”

I have listened to all of the CD and have

Tracks: found a great enjoyment in the music and the ar-
rangements. So much so that I have decided to do
1. Polska efter Ante Sundin, Medalpad my own arrangement of some of the tunes for my
2. Slängpolska efter Juringius, Småland own folk music band.

3. Sorens vals av Jan Ekedahl, Götland Aryeh has returned to mostly traditional
Swedish tunes and added his own flavor and arrange-
4. Polska til Adam av Josefine Paulson ments to these without detracting from the original
melodies. He has learned the harpa styles very well
5. Trollrikepolskan av Eric Sahlström, Uppland and has very good technique. Sören’s instrument is
6. Ice on the Water by George Reynolds in good hands.

7. Pennknivsmördaren efter H.L. Erlandsson One of the amazing aspects of this collection
of music is the fact that almost without exception all
(after the style of Väsen) the instruments are played by Aryeh. In addition to
the harpa as the solo instrument he can be heard
8. Himlens polska, Finnland playing cittern, guitar, Celtic harp, violin, viola,
9. Racklehanen av Niklas Roswell cello, pennywhistle, accordion, and bass. On one of
the tracks, Himlens polska, Lisa Lynne is credited as
10. Långdans efter Hjört Anders Olsson och playing the Celtic harp.

Festpolskan från Östergötland Aryeh’s CDs are available from:

http://www.lionharp.com/mailorder.shtml
11. Polska efter Magnus Theorin, Småland

12. Sommarvals av Ale Möller or order from CDBaby at:

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/aryehfrankfurter13
13. Slängpolska från Barsebäck, Skåne

Review by the Editor, David Elliker-Vågsberg

# 54 - FALL 2014

CD REVIEW
By Rita Leydon

Two titans of Scandinavian music have com-

bined forces to produce a new CD that will
capture your soul and hold it hostage until its
lyricism and musical clarity swell the eyes
with tears and leave you begging for more.
The sound they create is inspired, powerful,
precise, at times playful and always brilliant.
Peter Puma Hedlund, nyckelharpa, and
Øystein Sandbukt, guitar, complement each
other exquisitely and their effortless playing
flows naturally as you would expect from two
masters who have years of combined
performances.

This hot-off-the-press CD, Tidlösa Valsen

(Timeless Waltz), was sent to me when it first debuted. Did I like it? Oh, my goodness, what a silly question!
I loved it!

The CD offers sixteen tracks, four Norwegian and twelve Swedish. Five are Peter’s own and one is by
Øystein who is such a fine tunesmith that I wish there were a couple more from him. There are three Eric
Sahlström tunes including the seldom heard Örebropolskan which is extra fun because it is the third of three
tunes Eric started exactly the same way—Trollrikepolskan, Hardrevet and this one. I had a gleeful “aha” mo-
ment when I heard it the first time. August Bohlin is represented with Disapolskan which I think is a funny
tune, or at least a big-silly-grin-on-your-face tune. Don’t get me wrong, you will be awestruck by the speedy
nimble finger prowess of both Peter and Øystein in Disapolskan. Viksta Lasse’s Eklundapolska #2 I have
loved forever and is a real treat here. Years ago I became a huge fan of the Norwegian fiddler Sigbjørn Bern-
hof Osa, especially a waltz he plays called Meistervals. Imagine my delight when I discovered it on this CD!
Another surprise is that Peter plays his tune Pojkarna Hedlund (The Hedlund boys) on fiddle. Not sure, but I
think this may be his fiddle debut. Pojkarna Hedlund is a new tune from Peter and it strikes me just as mis-
chievous as the real Hedlund boys (Peter and his sons).
In 2003 Edward Anderzon was one of the new teachers at the Ekebyholm summer nyckelharpa course.
He taught a tune he had found and dusted off from an old music notebook dated 1814, hence the name. None
of us had ever heard the tune before, and it took the course by storm. Fast forward to now. 1814 is played eve-
rywhere by pretty much anyone with a nyckelharpa, it has become just short of ubiquitous. So what did Peter
and Øystein do with it? They made it the lead-in tune after fiddling with it a bit, giving it a delightful new
twist. First time through Peter plays the standard AABB, AABB version, but the second time through he
yields the lead to Øystein and it comes out ØØBB, AABB as Øystein ingeniously departs from the melody
line causing the listener to sit up and say “Whoa! Wait, what just happened here?” It works really well!
Eventually we come to the last tune, Tidlösa Valsen. The tune is caressed by a lovely piano intro as
well as ending played by Mats Andersson. (Mats also contributes a bit of accordion on another tune.) Every
time I hear this particular rendition of Tidlösa Valsen I get totally weak in the knees. I forget to breathe. It is
so utterly beautiful. A perfect combination of absolutely everything!

You’ll surely want this CD in your music library. It is available on iTunes.

# 54 - FALL 2014
Music which is the result of his researches and tran-
SUMMER NYCKELHARPA MASTER- scriptions.
CLASS IN BERTINORO (ITALY), This same, authentic spirit you can
breathe listening to the final concert, which was held
21-24th August 2014 on 23rd of August 2014 in the Cathedral of Bertinoro
(some videos available on youtube, Ed.), where
Climbing up the way to the old teachers and students were playing together, engag-
“Rocca” (the old castle, Ed.), you can hear the notes ing the audience with passion and offering a quite
of a Ciaccona spreading in the air. We are in Berti- unusual program with music by O. Gibbons, M. Uc-
noro, a beautiful town in the beautiful hills of Ro- cellini, J. A. Dalza, Merula, Charpentier, F. Azzaiolo,
magna, Italy, it is end of August and the day has just F. Patavino and others. The final concert was en-
started. About twelve people coming from several riched by the presence of three young recorder play-
European countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Ger- ers, who joined in the same days a masterclass with
many, Italy and Spain), sharing the passion for Ny- Pr. Michael Posch (Konservatorium Wien Univer-
ckelharpa and Early Music, are attending the Sum- sity).
mer Masterclass leaded by Pr. Marco Ambrosini The nyckelharpa masterclass, which was
(nyckelharpa player and teacher in Scuola di Musica hosted in the mark of the JCE Network Festival
Popolare di Forlimpopoli - Italy, Academy of Burg (http://www.bertinoromusica.it/jce/) and the Summer
Füsteneck and Musikhochschule Trossingen Music Master Classes of Scuola Musicale Bertinoro “Dante
University - Germany). In fact, the summer master- Alighieri” (http://www.summermasterclasses.de.vu/),
class is much more than a high-quality music lesson: is the result of the cooperation among three European
living together, enjoying the hours playing in a ny- Universities (Fondazione Alma Mater – Universita’
ckelharpa orchestra, teachers and students side by di Bologna, Konservatorium Wien University and
side, is the real spirit you can breathe, and it is the Musikhochschule Trossingen Music University), in
best way to live this experience; a full immersion collaboration with Scuola di Musica Popolare di For-
into music, with about eight hours per day practice limpopoli (http://www.musicapopolare.net/smp/) and
along four days, in which Pr. Marco Ambrosini ac- the European Nyckelharpa Training – ENT (http://
companies his students through a deep and emo- www.nyckelharpa.eu/): a real European project,
tional exploration of Early Music interpretation on which will hopefully go on in the next years, connect-
nyckelharpa, providing both technical and historical ing nyckelharpa players around the whole continent
tips and approaching an original repertoire of Early (maybe even more...) and giving them the possibility
to meet Early Music players of
different instruments.
Valentina Campajola
Nyckelharpa student at ENT
– Scuola di Musica Popolare
\di Forlimpopoli - Italy
# 54 - FALL 2014
Lee’s Nyckelharpa Story It’s seems amazing that all these events have fit so
by Lee Ann Bonacker well together.
So now after the first lesson, I have found
It is so hard to believe that six weeks ago, I out that one doesn’t lift the bow up between each
did not even know that the nyckelharpa existed. Now note. (It’s perfectly ok to laugh now.) Obviously I
I am so blessed to own one and have a teacher, Mr. have no experience with a stringed instrument, al-
David Elliker-Vågsberg. What an experience this has though the rest of the musical education is proving
been, and here is how everything started. helpful. Right now I will be very happy with a clear
My husband was listening to Prairie Home tone and accurate scales. The Swedish folk music I
Companion in the car and heard just a few clips from have recently heard is also a new experience. There
the group, Väsen. He was so impressed with Väsen’s are some gorgeous, ornate, minor tunes that are
skill and intrigued by their sound, that he showed me played frighteningly fast. I would be happy to play
a video clip of them. The sound of the nyckelharpa any type of music as long as it sounds well. What a
was amazing. I was immediately fascinated. I wanted voyage of discovery to make with an instrument that
to learn all about the nyckelharpa and how to play it. others have discovered for hundreds of years.
But one must find out if an instrument is truly suit- So if you have a similar fascination with the
able, plus have resources for repair, supplies and les- nyckelharpa – all I can tell you is, “Go for it! Go for
sons etc., before starting up. it right now, and God Bless.”
So I went on the Net and found the ANA Lee Ann Bonacker
website. How surprising! Here was a national or-
ganization – a place to find out about this exotic in-
strument. I used the ANA website to contact Bart
Brashers. Sheila Morris emailed me back and pro-
vided David Elliker-Vågsberg’s contact information.
Thank you so much, Sheila and Bart.
It just so happened that Mr. Elliker-Vågsberg
was coming to the town I live in about two weeks
after contacting him. He and his wife were kind
enough to come to my home and bring their three ny-
ckelharpor. They graciously played for my family
and let me become acquainted with the instrument.
After this introduction, I was even more hooked.
More surprising is the fact that I was able to purchase
an instrument a couple weeks ago. The maker is Jim
Myers, who used a Soren design and materials Jim
knows Bart, who had already heard the nyckelharpa.
So the harpa was well vetted, which was especially
good for a novice purchaser like me.
# 54 - FALL 2014

Carrying on Traditions
by Trella Hastings I visited one of their rehearsals recently. The
primary teachers are Bart Brashers and Silje Sodal
It is always a challenge to keep beloved tra- Claar. There were about 19 kids there. The dancers
ditions alive from their countries of origin. Some are included all ages, having fun, learning simple dances
more easily passed down to younger generations than and mixing with a few adults who helped keep things
others. Playing music in folk traditions is one that going. The idea is to make it so they enjoy the danc-
often depends on being handed down from genera- ing and not to make precision dance performers out
tion to generation. It helps when that happens within of them. The same goes for the smaller music group
families of origin. Sometimes, though, these tradi- that had about 8 children in it. It was truly inspiring
tions are found by outside exposure rather than com- to see the continuation of the dance and music tradi-
ing directly from family. I took on the project of tion in action!
writing this article to look at children playing the ny-
ckelharpa. Lots of kids play other instruments, but I visited the home of one of the instructors,
not so many play the harpa. However, music tradi- Silje Sodal Claar and husband, Pete Claar. Silje was
tions cannot be exclusive so I am taking a broader brought up in a Norwegian home in Colorado. Both
look including dance and other instruments, but fo- of her parents came from Norway and are still active
cusing more on the nyckelharpa. Those of you read- in Boulder, Colorado. Silje’s dad, Ingvar Sodal,
ing this article have a connection of some kind to the stepmom, Sally, and her mom, Jofrid Sodal, all still
nyckelharpa, (since you are reading the ANA news- very involved with Scandinavian music and dance.
letter) whether it is through interest and fascination As you might expect, Silje is an excellent dancer. I
or actually playing it. When I found out that nyckel- talked to her about the group and interviewed her two
harpa playing is being done by several youngsters children who also played a few tunes for me while I
here in the Seattle area, I wanted to know more. It so took pictures. Her son, Evan is 10 years old and plays
happened that these kids are being taught by friend a small adult nyckelharpa. Daughter Linnea is almost
and the co-founder of the American Nyckelharpa As- 8 and has started fiddle. Both are really enthusiastic
sociation, Bart Brashers. Bart was the inspiration for about the music. Both children were into dancing at a
many in starting to play this wonderful instrument, very early age, from birth actually. They would twirl
including myself. Some years ago I wrote an article around the floor in the arms of Silje and their grand-
about him for Nyckel Notes. It can be found in the parents at dances, then later holding their hands doing
archives on the website, newsletter #11. Bart’s life simple moves to the music. Bart and Margaret Brash-
journey with the nyckelharpa goes back to his own ers’ children have been going to Scandinavian events
childhood. His father built one, albeit it was large and dances from an early age as well.
and cumbersome. It was some time later that Bart
became seriously interested in playing, however. Evan has been dancing with Leikarringen for
about 4 years and started the harpa about a year ago. I
Bart has been teaching several children, in- asked him how he got interested in the harpa and he
cluding his daughter, Alice, 11 years old and son, told me that he became fascinated with the instrument
Emmett, 8 years old. He has also taught them to play when he saw Bart playing it, observing that the music
regular fiddle. They have been dancing in the comes from pressing keys into the strings rather than
Barneleikarringen group for several years now. From fingers as in the fiddle. He also is trying his hand at
this group several of the kids came together to play the cow horn. He wants to learn hardingfele as well
dance music, mostly on fiddle but some on harpa. as the didgeridoo! Quite an ambition for a 10 year
They dance with the group twice a month which old, but he is “on fire” for playing music and he just
meets at the Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle. Af- might well reach his goals, maybe with a few more
ter the dance practice they get together for a jam, led instruments added! At a recent lesson I heard him
and coached by Bart. They will have made their per- asking Bart for a scientific explanation of string vi-
formance debut on November 23 at the Nordic Heri- bration.
tage Museum by the time you are reading this.
(continued next page)
# 54 - FALL 2014
Carrying on Traditions continued:

Linnea started dancing with Leikarringen at about age

two and started fiddle two years ago. The family has “musical
Mondays” when Linnea’s violin teacher, Rachel Nesvig, comes
to give her a lesson in the living room and Bart drops by to give
Evan a nyckelharpa lesson in the kitchen after work, while Silje
prepares dinner. Another girl, Sophia, 8 years old also has a fid-
dle lesson with Rachel, then Sophia’s brother, Sebastin,12 years
old, joins the girls in some playing some tunes together. Music
is discussed and played and sometimes they all have dinner to-
gether! Carrying on traditions! I am sure you will be hearing Evan and Linnea Claar practicing at
more about this young group! home. Evan plays a 3/4 size harpa.
By Latrelle (Trella) Hastings, author, photographer, and (Photo by Trella Hastings)
musician, reporting from Seattle, WA.

Barneleikarringen at a practice at the Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle. (Photo by Phil Nation)

Below: Barneleikarringen musician jam . In this picture young Liam and grandmother, Roberta Morrow, are
watching in the background. Liam is observing and imitating how to hold a nyckelharpa!

(photo by Trella Hastings)

# 54 - FALL 2014

Carrying on Traditions
continued:
Below: The Barneleikarringen group along with their
“Spelmanslag”. Note that there are four (count ‘em)
harpor in the picture. This was the “Spelmen’s” debut
performance at the julefest (English: Yulefest) on 23 No-
vember 2014 in the Nordic Heritage Museum, Seattle,
Washington. (Photo by Trella Hastings)
Emmett Brashers at the Barneleikarrin-
gen jam. (photo by Trella Hast-

Below: The Barneleikarringen group

along with their “Spelmanslag” at their
performance at the julefest (English:
Yulefest) on 23 November 2014 in the
Nordic Heritage Museum, Seattle, Wash-
ington. (Photo by Trella Hastings)
# 54 - FALL 2014

Wilhelm Gelotte (1859-1950) (picture at left) was an important fiddler and

clarinet player from Skutskär in Uppland. He was born in Älvkarleby but his
older family immigrated to Sweden from Belgium and were called
“Valloner” ( English “Walloons”). Many Walloons became part of the folk
music culture in Uppland. Much more information about him may be found in
an article written (på Svensk) in 1947 for issue number 4 of the Uplandsspel-
mannen by Ernst Hägg, President of the Uplands Spelmansförbunddin. See:

http://www.uplandsspel.se/spelman/gelotte.html
# 54 - FALL 2014

String
Bazaar
The ANA is pleased to of-
fer Nyckelharpa strings
for sale! We have playing
strings and three versions
of understring sets.

Playing Strings
The playing strings are the four largest
ORDER FORM strings, the ones that you actually touch with the
Prices are for ANA members/non-members. bow. PRIM brand strings are made by an old
Price includes shipping to a US address. Swedish string manufacturing company. Their
fiddle strings are popular among folk musicians,
Playing strings Quantity Member Non- Total
and are available widely in the US. Their nyckel-
Price member Cost
Price harpa strings are basically the same as their cello
strings, except that they are the correct length for
Prim Full Set $77 $87 nyckelharpas instead of about a foot too long. All
four strings are wound. The A-string
Prim A (1) $15 $17 is .020” (0.50 mm) in diameter.

Prim C (2) $18 $20 Sympathetic Strings

We offer three versions of understrings,
Prim G (3) $20 $23 described more fully in the January 1998 edition
of Nyckel Notes. Basically, the three sets can be
Prim C (4) $24 $27 called:

Resonance strings: 6+6:

6 wound strings .021” (0.053 mm) in diameter,
6 +6 resonance set $22 $27
6 plain strings .014” (0.36 mm) in diameter.
4+4+4 resonance set $22 $27
4+4+4 :
4 wound strings 0.24” (0.61 m) in diameter,
12 step resonance set $22 $27
4 wound strings .021” (0.53 mm) in diameter,
4 plain strings .014” (0.36 mm) in diameter.
TOTAL

12-step :
e-mail for inquiries: [email protected] 12 strings varying from .025” (0.64 mm)
Send this form along with a check payable to:
to .014” (0.36 mm), by steps of .001”. The lower
American Nyckelharpa Association to:
Tim Newcomb 6 are wound, the higher 6 are plain.
P.O. Box 51
Montpelier, VT 05602
# 54 - FALL 2014
Dear Nyckel Notes Readers, COMING UP - ISSUE 55:
Det er hva det er! A favorite saying of a Winter 2014-2015
relative of our family who lives in Sandefjord, 1. Continuation of Jan Ling’s Nyckelharpor,
Norge. “It is what it is!” And this issue is what the English pages.
ANA members and readers have sent me the entire 2. More articles submitted by the ANA
year of 2014 so far and it is now well into Novem- membership!
ber. Very good, interesting articles but I was hop-
ing for more articles by members. I don’t know if Below is a picture of myself (David) and
there will be another issue for this year or not but Claire Elliker-Vågsberg performing in Portland,
then that is up to you, the readers. Please get your Oregon for the Daughters of Norway. Claire and
articles to me so that we can continue reading I have a multi-media show that we have presented
about, listening and playing the nyckelharpa. 4 times called “Capturing Nordic Underworld
We have so few harpa players here in Ore- Creatures in Music” We talk about trolls, nisse,
gon. Three out of 5 are members of our band, huldra, nøken and Fanitullen with some history,
Fossegrimen. But as you can read on page 14, some folk tales, lots of creature tunes and many
there is now a new harpa player in our area. Power-Point slides of famous Underjørdisker illus-
Every year around the globe, the interest grows in trations
learning the nyckelharpa. See page 13.................. the Editor

The American Nyckelharpa Association

The ANA is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering the nyckelharpa and its music in North America.
We sponsor and produce music workshops across the country featuring the traditions of the
nyckelharpa.
ANA Membership dues are $12 per year, which includes a digital subscription to the Nyckel Notes newslet-
ter. $30 per year for a snail mail membership. Sign up on the web-site: www.nyckelharpa.org
. Send article submissions to Nyckel Notes at:
[email protected]
or to David Elliker-Vågsberg: [email protected]