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"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

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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

RørosDance 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.