www.auss.org Volume CXXIII November, 2015 No. 9 Published by the American Union of Swedish Singers In its 123rd year of Performing Svenska Sånger in America The AUSS Cultural Heritage Foundation is looking to award $1,500 Ho- kanson Scholarships to MUSIC MAJORS, or, if no majors, then minors, of SCANDINAVIAN Heritage. Applicant must be at least a freshman in col- lege. You can read about this scholarship, and how to apply, on the AUSS website at www.auss.org/chf/scholar.htm Hokanson Music Scholarship Deadline is December 1 Your 2016 AUSS Convention host, the Chicago Swedish Glee Club, and its planning committee, have been hard at work, putting on the final touches to make sure that our next national conven- tion and singing festival will be one of the best ever. It is suggested that all singers and guests begin now to plan to participate in this glorious event. The convention will begin on Tuesday, June 21, 2016 and conclude with the banquet on Saturday, June 25, 2016. The convention hotel will be the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center lo- cated at 70 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard, Illinois. The convention rate will be $139.00 per night for single or double room. Reservations can be made now by calling (toll-free) 1-888-627- 9031. Be sure to ask for the “American Union of Swedish Singers 2016 Conven- tion rate.” To see hotel details, see www.westinlombard.com Convention registration will be $150.00 per person (singers and spouses/ guests) The grand concert will be on Friday, June 24, 2016 at the Edman Memorial Chapel on the campus of Wheaton Col- lege on East Franklin Street in Wheaton, Illinois. See the Edman Chapel at www.wheaton.edu/About-Wheaton/Map/ Buildings/Edman-Chapel A mailing is being prepared by the host committee to send to each singer which will include convention registration forms, schedules of events and tour offerings. Also, the convention music will be mailed to all choruses by the end of November. More information was in the February, 2015 issue: www.auss.org/musiktidning/ Musik2015/2015-02.pdf We wish everyone a happy holiday season and look for- Convention Committee Announces Details Above: The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center will be the AUSS convention hotel in June 2016. Below: Edman Chapel, site of the Grand Concert. Above: A terrace at the convention hotel. Below: A king room. ward to hearing from you and welcoming you to Chicago in the new year. - David Winter, Chicago Swedish Glee Club
Transcript
www.auss.org
Volume CXXIII November, 2015 No. 9
Published by the American Union of Swedish Singers In its 123rd year of Performing Svenska Sånger in America
The AUSS Cultural Heritage Foundation is looking to award $1,500 Ho-
kanson Scholarships to MUSIC MAJORS, or, if no majors, then minors, of
SCANDINAVIAN Heritage. Applicant must be at least a freshman in col-
lege. You can read about this scholarship, and how to apply, on the
AUSS website at www.auss.org/chf/scholar.htm
Hokanson Music Scholarship Deadline is December 1
Your 2016 AUSS Convention host, the
Chicago Swedish Glee Club, and its
planning committee, have been hard at
work, putting on the final touches to
make sure that our next national conven-
tion and singing festival will be one of
the best ever. It is suggested that all
singers and guests begin now to plan to
participate in this glorious event.
The convention will begin on Tuesday,
June 21, 2016 and conclude with the
banquet on Saturday, June 25, 2016.
The convention hotel will be the
Westin Lombard Yorktown Center lo-
cated at 70 Yorktown Shopping Center,
Lombard, Illinois. The convention rate
will be $139.00 per night for single or
double room. Reservations can be made
now by calling (toll-free) 1-888-627-
9031. Be sure to ask for the “American
Union of Swedish Singers 2016 Conven-
tion rate.” To see hotel details, see
www.westinlombard.com
Convention registration will be
$150.00 per person (singers and spouses/
guests)
The grand concert will be on Friday,
June 24, 2016 at the Edman Memorial
Chapel on the campus of Wheaton Col-
lege on East Franklin Street in Wheaton,
Illinois. See the Edman Chapel at
www.wheaton.edu/About-Wheaton/Map/
Buildings/Edman-Chapel
A mailing is being prepared by the host
committee to send to each singer which
will include convention registration
forms, schedules of events
and tour offerings. Also, the
convention music will be
mailed to all choruses by the
end of November.
More information was in
the February, 2015 issue:
www.auss.org/musiktidning/
Musik2015/2015-02.pdf
We wish everyone a happy
holiday season and look for-
Convention Committee Announces Details
Above: The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center will be the AUSS convention hotel
in June 2016. Below: Edman Chapel, site of the Grand
Concert.
Above: A terrace at the convention hotel. Below: A king room.
ward to hearing from you and welcoming
you to Chicago in the new year.
- David Winter, Chicago Swedish Glee
Club
November 2015 MUSIKTIDNING page 2 of 7
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN UNION OF SWEDISH SINGERS
(Organized November 24, 1892)
A Musical Journal in English and Swedish
"To teach, cultivate and promote Chorus singing, principally Swedish."
ELLEN SVENGALIS, Editor 3 Rockland Road, Guilford, CT 06437
Vasa Drängar to Celebrate its 20th Anniversary in 2016
Celebrating Vasa Drängar singers, from left to right: Göran Rygert, Dale Nordin, Erik Kind, Hans Hörnfeldt, Sven Lovegren, Jay Lutz and Sten Ekberg. (Not in the picture are Magnus
Edlund and Adrian Popescu.)
Thanksgiving is the holiday that
evokes visions of turkey and trimmings,
pie, football, family gatherings, and ex-
pressions of thanks.
I have so much to be thankful for: my
family, good health, a comfortable life,
and my AUSS friends. Actually, AUSS
members are like family who are scat-
tered across the country. Only every
four years do we reconnect at a national
convention. It’s a little like going home
Editor’s Notes (even though the
location changes
each time). We
eat, we sing, we
have fun. Yes, we
work, too, at re-
hearsals. But, it’s an event I look for-
ward to with anticipation, knowing I’ll
see my AUSS “family.” Hope to see all
of you in Chicago next June!
Happy Thanksgiving!
November 2015 MUSIKTIDNING page 4 of 7
Our chorus took a hit…so to speak.
Jody and fellow choir member and friend
Gayle Grossen walk three miles almost
daily, after stopping at Starbuck’s. Jody
was carrying a latte in one hand and was
unzipping her coat for a Kleenex with
the other, didn’t see the bump in the
sidewalk and took a fall. She suffered a
broken clavicle and slight concussion.
Robin Jepson also fell. I think she was
feeding a friend’s horses, but I’m not
sure, and she broke her foot. Our won-
derful Ute Munger was on a ladder, and
also fell, breaking her upper arm. The
three are such positive, hardworking,
chorus members. We wish them a
speedy recovery, and are sending them
virtual hugs. Jody and Ute wouldn’t
appreciate hugs at this time, as they
would be painful.
We had our mini marathon baking, and
Robin, broken foot and all, worked most
of the day.
Below is an email from a shopper who
Portland, OR Disabled List
was very pleased with the things he pur-
chased.
“My wife and I had a piece of your
delicious lemon wreath bread with a rum
ball chaser. Wow! Thanks for making
these goodies available at the Lutefisk
Dinner.”
- Alana Mapes, Scandia Ladies Chorus
Robin Jepson and Kelly Otto are ready to sell lots of delicious homemade Scandinavian breads at the Grieg Lodge Lutefisk Dinner on November 8.
Above: Kelly Otto and Jerry Jones are the "kneeding" cowboys. Together they mus-cled enough dough to make 90 loaves of
orange rye bread. Most all of it sold at the Lutefisk Dinner at Norse Hall. We ate what
was left at our soup supper.
At left, above: The afternoon shift of bak-ers. We waited till afternoon to break out
the rum and make our famous "Rum Balls." We decided at the last minute to include
them in our sale, so at 10:00 p.m. Friday, I sent an email plea for those singers com-ing to bake, to bring rum from their cup-
board, if they had some. Two bottles went home with the morning shift, but four re-mained in the afternoon. The rum balls
sold out!
At left, below: These singers couldn't get enough of Halloween. Poor Vance had to keep a serious face while directing this
group of characters.
November 2015 MUSIKTIDNING page 5 of 7
In honor of Sveas Söner’s 125th anni-
versary, here is a little history of the
Svea Hall in Rockford, Illinois.
In 1892, the Sveas Söner Singing Soci-
ety decided to erect an opera house. An
association was formed for this purpose
and a site purchased for $10,000; stock
being sold to members. The building
contract called for $54,000; but, before
the building could be finished, the finan-
cial crash knocked the bottom out of the
venture. An outsider took over the as-
sets. Later the purchaser generously
offered to sell the finished building, lo-
cated at Seventh Street and Third Ave-
nue, to Sveas Söner for $28,000. His
offer was accepted and the whole amount
was paid in due time. The building, Svea
Hall, then became the property of the
Society.
This picture was taken in January,
1920 on the second floor of Svea Hall.
The banquet was in celebration of the
30-year anniversary of the Sveas Söner
Chorus. There are so many interesting
things to see in the picture. In the upper
left hand corner, you can see a stair rail-
ing going up to another level with musi-
cians providing music in that area. Note
the stage on the right and the various
American flags. The 46-star flag
(hanging vertically above the stage) was
adopted in 1908, and the 48-star flag (to
the left of the stage) in 1912, with the
addition of New Mexico and Arizona. It
is interesting that, in 1920, they were still
flying the 46-star flag.
Svea Hall was listed on the National
Register of Historic Places. The registry
says the building was built in the period
1893-1896. It also shows it was used as
a vaudeville venue. Sadly, the building
was gutted by fire and razed in 1982.
Sveas Söner was founded in 1890. The
leading spirit in the undertaking was a
musician by the name of C.H.F. Oberg,
who had been a choir director in Sweden,
and one of the famous Arpi singers at the
Paris Exposition in 1867. While in Rock-
ford, he was the organist in one of the
local churches and was chosen director
of Sveas Söner. The chorus joined the
A.U.S.S. and took part in the great con-
certs at the World's Fair in Chicago in
1893. The chorus has also sponsored,
bringing to Rockford, a number of noted
choruses and individual singers and ce-
lebrities from Sweden.
- Steve James, Sveas Söner Singing
Society
Historic Svea Hall in Rockford, Illinois
This photo from 1920 shows the Sveas Söner chorus celebrating its 30-year anniversary. This may be the only picture of the interior enter-tainment floor. The granddaughter of a previous singer found this in his belongings and gave it to the chorus.
November 2015 MUSIKTIDNING page 6 of 7
The ASI Male Chorus is delighted to
leap into the Holiday Season with much
to sing about. As we do, we are inspired
by our retired members who still stay
connected with us. Woodcarver Iver
Anderson is one. Soloist Bill Sjolund is
another. Tenor Ray Bonstronm is a
third, and we may sing at his assisted
living facility, the Pines, in January.
And, Dick and Marilyn Kennedy still try
to attend some of our concerts, despite
the physical challenges they face.
We are inspired, too, by our Auxiliary
that supports us in so many ways, includ-
ing serving us pumpkin pie and open
faced sandwiches after our most recent
rehearsal.
We have several concerts coming up.
On Sunday November 22nd, we will do
our annual Thanksgiving concert at the
Historic Ft. Snelling Chapel. Designed
as a small version of the Chapel at West
Point, we love singing here, and we love
the coffee and cookies that they serve
afterwards. We will sing some beautiful
songs, such as It is Well with My Soul
and Lugn Hvilar Sjön. This year, we
have been asked to sing Tack, min Gud,
för vad som varit, which we find very
beautiful.
On December 3rd, we will entertain an
enthusiastic Svensk cultural club at the
Minnesota Valley Country Club. We
certainly will sing some of our favorite
Christmas songs.
We will also dip into our Christmas
song book on Saturday, December 5th at
the American Swedish Institute Julmar-
ket, when ASI has many of the Turnblad
Mansion rooms decorated for Christmas,
with each Nordic country being repre-
sented, each with its own room. Nordic
foods are available to sample and Nordic
gifts are on display to buy.
Further, on Sunday, December 20th,
the entire Mansion will echo with our
Christmas singing at the "Music in the
Mansion" - a delightful holiday Sunday.
The ASI Male Chorus wishes everyone
a Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year.
- Richard Sandeen, ASI Male Chorus
ASI Male Chorus Leaps Into the Holiday Season
Gratitude is the inward feeling of kind-
ness received. Thankfulness is the natu-
ral impulse to express that feeling.
Thanksgiving is the following of that im-
pulse. ~ Henry Van Dyke
If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got,
he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's
going to get. ~ Frank A. Clark
Be thankful for what you have; you'll end
up having more. If you concentrate on
what you don't have, you will never, ever
have enough. ~ Oprah Winfrey
Best of all is it to preserve everything in a
pure, still heart, and let there be for every
pulse a thanksgiving, and for every
breath a song. ~ Konrad von Gesner
A sincere attitude of gratitude is a beati-
tude for secured altitudes. Appreciate
what you have been given and you will
be promoted higher. ~ Israelmore Ayivor
My cooking is so bad my kids thought
Thanksgiving was to commemorate Pearl
Harbor. ~ Phyllis Diller
The funny thing about Thanksgiving, or
any big meal, is that you spend 12 hours
shopping for it then go home and cook,
chop, braise and blanch. Then it's gone
in 20 minutes and everybody lies around
sort of in a sugar coma and then it takes
4 hours to clean it up. ~ Ted Allen, The
Food You Want to Eat: 100 Smart, Simple
Recipes
Thankfulness creates gratitude which
generates contentment that causes
peace. ~ Todd Stocker
Over and over I marvel at the blessings
of my life: Each year has grown better
than the last. ~ Lawrence Welk
A little "thank you" that you will say to
someone for a "little favour" shown to you
is a key to unlock the doors that hide
unseen "greater favours." Learn to say
"thank you" and why not? ~ Israelmore
Ayivor
Thanksgiving Quotations
The Scandinavian Male Chorus and the
Scandia Ladies Chorus, collectively
called the Portland Scandinavian Chorus,
will be very busy in December.
On December 5 and 6, the group will
be selling baked goods at the 31st An-
nual ScanFair. It will be held at the Vet-
eran’s Memorial Coliseum Exhibit Hall
downstairs, 300 North Winning Way,
Portland, OR. They will also perform on
Sunday, noon to 1:00 p.m. Tickets are
$7 adult, $6 senior, $15 family (2 adults,
2 kids), free for kids 12 and under. In
order to sell the delectable breads, bak-
ing sessions will precede the event.
The Swedish St. Lucia Festival will
take place Saturday, December 12, at
3:00 p.m. in Sellwood at Immanuel Lu-
theran Church, 7810 SE 15th Ave., Port-
land, OR. Free for ages 3 and under, $5
for ages 4-12, $10 for ages 13 and over.
On December 13, they will perform at
the Norwegian Christmas Music Festi-
val: Norsk Julesangfest at Nordia House,
8800 SW Oleson Road, Portland, OR.
They will sing 3:15-4:15 p.m.
Also on December 13, at 7:00 p.m.,
they will present their Christmas Con-
cert, featuring beautiful Christmas songs
from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Nor-
way, and Sweden in the native lan-
guages! The program will take place at
Nordia House, 8800 SW Oleson Road,
Portland, OR. Admission is free.
Finally, on December 25, at 7:00 a.m.,
the chorus will sing at the Swedish
Christmas Service: Julotta at First Im-
manuel Lutheran Church, 1816 NW Ir-
ving Street, Portland, OR. It is a beauti-
ful way to begin Christmas morning.
Portland’s Busy December
November 2015 MUSIKTIDNING page 7 of 7
Jean Sibelius, the famous Finnish com-
poser, was born Johan Julius Christian
Sibelius on December 8, 1865 in
Hämeenlinna, Finland, which is about 60
miles north of Helsinki. His father,
Christian Gustaf Sibelius, a medical doc-
tor, died of typhus when Jean was only
2½ years old. At age 7, Jean took piano
lessons from his Aunt Julia. His uncle,
Pehr Ferdinand Sibelius, became a fa-
ther-figure and encouraged the boy’s
interest in music, giving him a violin at
age 10. Sibelius studied at Helsinki Mu-
sic Institute (now the Sibelius Academy)
from 1885 to 1889, then in Berlin (1889
to 1890) and Vienna (1890 to 1891).
Sibelius’s career began slowly, with
limited success. It was during this time
that Sibelius finally abandoned his aspi-
rations as a violinist: "My tragedy was
that I wanted to be a celebrated violinist
at any price. Since the age of 15, I
played my violin practically from morn-
ing to night. I hated pen and ink—
unfortunately I preferred an elegant vio-
lin bow. My love for the violin lasted
quite long and it was a very painful
awakening when I had to admit that I had
begun my training for the exacting career
of a virtuoso too late."
In January 1899, Sibelius began com-
posing his First Symphony at a time
when his patriotic feelings were being
enhanced by the Russian emperor Nicho-
las II's restrictions on the powers of the
Grand Duchy of Finland. The symphony
was well received by all when it was
premiered in Helsinki on April 26, 1899.
But the program also premiered the even
more compelling, blatantly patriotic
Song of the Athenians for boys' and male
choirs. The song immediately brought
Sibelius the status of a national hero.
Another patriotic work followed on No-
vember 4 in the form of eight tableaux
depicting episodes from Finnish history
known as the Press Celebration Music.
It had been written in support of the staff
of the Päivälehti newspaper which had
been suspended for a period after editori-
ally criticizing Russian rule. The last
tableau, Finland Awakens, was particu-
larly popular and, after minor revisions,
became the well-known Finlandia.
Many lyrics have been set to the
Finlandia Hymn (the serene hymn-like
section of Finlandia). The AUSS is
probably most familiar with Dear Land
of Home. Other familiar settings are Be
Still, My Soul and This Is My Song, as
well as Finland’s patriotic Finlandia
Hymni (words written in 1941 by Veikko
Antero Koskenniemi).
Sibelius composed seven symphonies,
plus Finlandia, the Karelia Suite, Valse
Triste, the Violin Concerto, the choral
symphony Kullervo, and The Swan of
Tuonela (from the Lemminkäinen Suite).
Other works include pieces inspired by
the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala,
over a hundred songs for voice and pi-
ano, incidental music for numerous
plays, the opera Jungfrun i tornet (The
Maiden in the Tower), chamber music,
piano music, Masonic ritual music, and
21 publications of choral music.
Throughout his career, the composer
found inspiration in nature and Nordic
mythology, especially the heroic legends
of the Kalevala.
Sibelius died of a brain hemorrhage on
September 20, 1957, at age 91. Widely
recognized as his country's national com-
poser, Sibelius is often credited for sup-
porting the rise of the Finnish national
identity in the country's struggle for in-
dependence.
The Finnish 100 mark bill featured his
image until 2002 when the euro was
adopted. Since 2011, Finland has cele-
brated a Flag Day on December 8, the
composer's birthday, also known as the
"Day of Finnish Music." This year, for
the 150th anniversary of the composer's
birth, a number of special concerts and
events have been planned, especially in
the city of Helsinki.
- from Wikipedia
Sibelius’s 150th Birthday
Dear Land of Home
Dear land of home, our hearts to thee are holden
By loyal love for each familiar scene;
Thy mountains guard the fields of grain all golden,
Thy rivers flow through meadows of green.
Thy mountains guard the fields of grain all golden,
