Dakota Beacon

Growing up in eastern North Dakota, the culture of Norway didn’t seem all that exotic to me.  And, although my dad was of Norwegian ethnicity, he had left his dad’s farm and we didn’t get together very often with his family.  Some things I remember from childhood - a strange, carved wooden elf-like nutcracker my grandfather had.  He would (jokingly?) threaten that it would bite off our fingers and I’m sure it could have.  It seemed a weird bit of whimsy from a very pragmatic, practical and not terribly whimsical man.  But that is actually typical of Norwegians - they have this bland, implacable sort of exterior but their culture is really colorful when they let it show, like in the brightly colored bunads: https://imgur.com/gallery/1klNVeA and their lovely Hardanger embroidery:  https://www.pinterest.com/judyl2020/hardanger-embroidery/

Norway is naturally dramatic - mountains, the fjords, the sea, its history of Viking raiders.  But also home to some incredible music.

It is May 17 today - as my Norwegian friends would say, “Syttende Mai” - so I thought I would take the opportunity to remind folks of the traditions and culture of the homeland of many of North Dakota’s ancestors.  A quick word about the food - quick because I have not sampled much of it.  They are known for fish soaked in lye.  Yes.  You heard me right.  Fish.  Lye.  Enough said.  Never had it because my dad had an absolute horror of it (although he always did recommend “rommegrøt” - a kind of pudding - when the little kids were loud and rambunctious).  But they have some exquisite delicacies - fried things called “rosettes” for the shape of the tool used in making them, fragile, beautiful cookie-pastry things sprinkled with sugar.  Try to experience one.  My mother took a class once and came back with a recipe for some cone-shaped fried cookies (krumkake).  They were so good I ate them until I couldn’t stand them anymore!  And at holiday times the bakeries here have things like “fattigmands” - fried, again, delicious and julekake - a bread-like thing full of dried fruts.  But the best of the lot was “lefse”.  You’ve probably had that if you’ve been in eastern North Dakota.  If not I’ll try to describe it:  it’s made of potatoes.  It is a very delicate sort of flat bread, limp, like cloth.  You get it in sheets.  You take one, smear it generously with butter and if you are a Norwegian you will probably sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar before you roll it up like a piece of paper and eat it.  I don’t think there is anything like it anywhere, and when it is good and fresh there’s not much of anything better.  So go get some lefse, smear it up, roll it up, grab some coffee and sit down and listen to some great Norwegian music.  And then get out in the sunshine and fresh air!

Of course we all know about Edvard Grieg, who was Norway’s “favorite son” composer - and a fine one he was, to be sure.  Many know him best from his popular “Peer Gynt” suite - actually incidental music for a play by Ibsen, a typically wistful story, originally written in Danish, then the official language of Norway, due to a personal union under one crown.  But some of my favorite Grieg music were his piano works, smaller-scale and very poetic.  Here is an Air from the Holberg Suite:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvtzSTZd8-A.  Ahh - introspective, romantic, sad.  Well, he also had his fireworks - and one of the most dramatic openings ever, in his Piano Concerto in A Minor - mysterious and thunderous and sweeping all at the same time - it resolves into absolutely sparkling keyboard virtuosity:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kjx-AxpZUxQ!  

If you’re a “regular” here you might have heard our next guest - young Angelina Jordan, winner of “Norway’s Got Talent”.  She has a penchant for what we might not think entirely typical for a little girl -  Billie Holiday hits, Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” . . . here she is eight years old - 

six years ago - and she’s performing Gershwin’s “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess, again revealing the surprises of that nation’s musicians (at any age):  https://www.wimp.com/eight-year-old-wins-norways-got-talent-with-this-song/

This is Norway’s contribution to the world of folk music - the famous Hardanger fiddle.  These are very beautiful,with intricate insets and usually 5 strings instead of 4 - 4 “normal” strings and one “drone”.  Rachel Nesvig plays one here with a few more strings - looks like 8, so maybe it’s double-strung (like the 12-string guitar).  Rachel is wearing a traditional Norwegian costume.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZX0e65xMt  One wonders whether the Scots influenced the Vikings more or the Vikings influenced the Scots more.

Finally, here is one of Norway’s stars - Sissel.Kyrkjebø.  First, “In Dreams” in honor of the great Roy Orbison, whose birthday was last month.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3av59OozHZM  While it is true that no one ever did it like Roy did, few can do it at all and that Sissel sings it here is just a testament to her great taste in music.  Here Sissel sings in her native tongue - again, you hear a strong Celtic flavor permeating these tunes and instrumentation:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnKQWTiFsBc&list=PLLB8qgVfx8PTMZ9xCENA3EFZayRmyr06d and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPZP_E890Bo&list=PLLB8qgVfx8PTMZ9xCENA3EFZayRmyr06d&index=2 and finally, one you might know as "On the Banks of the Wabash" as sung by a very young Sissel:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK-RibCMHK4&list=PLLB8qgVfx8PTMZ9xCENA3EFZayRmyr06d&index=14

I hope this showcase of Norwegian music and talent helps you to celebrate a probably quieter than usual Syttende Mai.

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