|
Räven
raskar (The Fox Hurries)
A
very old Christmas song and game, where various tradesmen are mimicked.
This version is taken from Svenska
fornsånger by Adolf Iwar Arwidsson – progressively, we mix it up
with a nice variation of the tune in a major key, learnt from Annika.
SK:
lead vocals, crumhorn; CL: guitar, vocals; AW: fiddle, vocals; AÖ: cello,
vocals
Fålen
han springer (The Horse Runs)
Collected
in the early 20th century in Ockelbo, county of Gästrikland in
Sweden, by the organist O. D. Lindvall.
SK:
mandola, vocals; CL: guitar, bells; AW: lead vocals, fiddle; AÖ: cello
Bonden
och räven (The Farmer and the Fox)
Tells
of a farmer who, when meeting a fox in the woods, starts bargaining on the
pelt of the animal. He wants it to line his cap in time for Christmas.
Luckily, the fox’s sister appears, talking sense into him before he is
too tempted...
Our
interpretation of this medieval song is based on a fragment recorded in
1960, sung by Lena Larsson (1882-1967). Living in Gullö, Ytterby parish,
in the county of Bohuslän, she was one of the most important source
singers of Swedish tradition. Other versions of this song have contributed
a few extra verses.
SK:
gatham, hurdy-gurdy; CL: bouzouki; AW: vocals; AÖ: mandolin
Staffansvisa
från Vikbolandet (Carol of Saint Stephen, from Vikbolandet)
From
Maja Stina Jönsdotter, Östra Husby, Vikbolandet, in the county of Östergötland,
Sweden. Collected in the 1840s by the priest and scholar Levin Christian
Wiede. This is one of many carols of St. Stephen that is more concerned
with begging for beer and spirits than actually retelling the story of the
saint.
SK:
frame drum, vocals; CL: guitar, vocals; AW: lead vocals; AÖ: cello,
vocals
Polska
after Eric Nilsson
No.
259 in the collection of tunes “Svenska låtar; Jämtland & Härjedalen”,
collected from the clarinet player Eric Nilsson of Mattmar, Jämtland (in
the North of Sweden). It is accompanied by a note saying that another
musician, Munter Johan, had learned this polska from a Lapp (or Sami –
the people indigenous of Northern Scandinavia). In truth, we think we can
detect a trace of Sami Joik chanting in the peculiar rhythmic pattern of
this tune. But then, could that just be our imagination?
SK:
Swedish bagpipe, tin whistle; CL: tabla; AW: fiddle; AÖ: mandolin
Harens
klagan (The Hare’s Lament)
This
is comprised of several versions of an old broadside ballad, telling of a
hare that complains about being hunted down and killed in the cold wintry
forest, in contrast to domestic animals who enjoy both food and warmth.
Having been roasted and served, the unfortunate hare – as an animal
lacking an immortal soul - isn’t even allowed into Paradise,.
The
lyrics date from at least since the 17th Century, the tune is
one we’ve borrowed from Norway; Stenstuens
Halling.
SK:
mandola, triangle, vocals; CL: tabla: AW: lead vocals, recorder; AÖ:
cello, vocals
Steklåt
efter Lejsme Per (Roast Tune after Lejsme Per)
The
fiddler Lejsme Per Larsson (1822-1907) was from Näsberg, the Finn area of
Malung (Dalecarlia, Sweden) but wandered extensively all over the west of
Dalecarlia as well as the north of the county of Värmland, scattering his
tunes all over this area. This is also the part of Sweden with the longest
unbroken bagpipe tradition. In the year 1762 Abraham Abrahamsson Hülphers,
travelling through Malung, mentioned in his notes that “the Bagpipes,
the sot harp (bowed lyre) and the keyed fiddle” here were “formerly
more well-known Instruments”. Yet, they weren’t all extinct; at least
the bagpipe persisted well into the 1940s.
SK:
Swedish bagpipe; CL: renaissance drum
Staffansvisa
från Bohuslän (Carol of Saint Stephen, from Bohuslän)
Stefan
learnt this quite archaic sounding song of St. Stephen from vocalist Erik
Bergersjö. We’ve extended it somewhat by adding a few verses from other
versions.
SK:
lead vocals; CL: vocals; AW: vocals; AÖ: vocals
Vargen
kommer (The Wolf is Coming)
A
polska composed by Stefan in 1997 – but not recorded until now!
SK:
Swedish bagpipe, goat’s hooves, zil ; CL: guitar, tabla; AW: recorder; AÖ:
cello
Gläd
dig du Kristi brud (Rejoice, Bride of Christ)
A
well-known traditional chorale, transcribed sometime during the latter
half of the 19th century by school teacher Anders Suther of
Mora (county of Dalecarlia, Sweden). Originally Danish, it tells of Christ
entering Jerusalem.
SK:
Appalachian dulcimer; AW: vocals
Så
Sante till Staffan (Forsooth, to Stephen)
We
got this from Folkliga kristna sångtraditioner
by Gunnar Turesson. The author collected it in 1959 from Marja Bjerner,
born in 1883 in Bogen, in the county of Värmland, Sweden, and who had
sung it every Christmas at home since her childhood. We’ve abridged the
text slightly. The tune finishing off this track is taken from an Irish
carol; Christmas Comes but Once a
Year.
This
version mainly concerns the flight of the Holy Family from Herod –
Stephen himself disappears from the plot directly after the first stanza.
SK:
mandola; CL: bouzouki; AW: vocals; AÖ: mandolin
Sönderhoning
from Fanö & the Cliff Concert Under the Mountain
Here
we play a Danish and a Norwegian tune put together. The former –
originally a wedding tune – Stefan learnt from recorder player Maria
Gyllenhaal. The latter is the oldest transcription of traditional music in
Norway, printed in 1740 by Johan Mattheson of Hamburg, published under the
title Etwas Neues unter der Sonnen! Oder das Unterirdische Klippen-Koncert in
Norwegen. He acquired it from the town musician Hinrich Meyer,
accompanied by a story of how he’d been in Bergen (in Norway) in 1695
and, during Christmas Night, heard this Halling tune being played by the
“people under the ground” (i.e. trolls or elves) beneath a mountain
close to the town. Believe it or not!
SK:
Swedish bagpipe; CL: guitar, renaissance drum; AW: recorder, fiddle; AÖ:
cello
Världens
frälsare (Saviour of the World)
One
of the most ancient of all the chorales; the lyrics were written in the 4th
century by Ambrose, and the tune is medieval. We sing three verses, taken
from the 1986 edition of the Book of Psalms.
SK:
Swedish bagpipe; CL: guitar; AW: vocals; AÖ: cello
Nu har vi
slutat att fira julen (Now We’ve Ceased our Christmas Revels)
From
the collections of Svenskt Visarkiv (Centre for Swedish Folk Music and
Jazz Research), taken from Karin Eng of Vallsta, Hälsingland county. In
other versions of this song the nonsensical “tuttelu” is substituted
by “Lord God” – obviously someone censored these words at some
point, feeling that they shouldn’t be taken in vain.
SK:
vocals; CL: guitar, vocals; AW: lead vocals, fiddle; AÖ: cello, vocals
Correction:
Inside the CD jacket the indications as to who plays what on the different
tracks is incorrect. The true description should be as follows:
Stefan
Kayat: Swedish bagpipe 5, 7, 9, 12, 13; crumhorn 1; hurdy-gurdy 3;
Appalachian dulcimer 10; mandola 2, 6, 11; tin whistle 5; percussion 3, 4,
6, 9; vocals 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 14.
Christer
Lewin: guitar 1, 2, 4, 9, 12, 13, 14; bouzouki 3, 11; percussion 2, 5, 6,
7, 9, 12;vocals 4, 8, 14.
Annika
Waern: vocals 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14; fiddle 1, 2, 5, 12, 14;
recorder 6, 9, 12.
Anders
Österberg: cello 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 13, 14; mandolin 3, 5, 11; vocals 1,
4, 6, 8, 14.
We
regret this and apologise for this error.
|