Tag Archives: nyckelharpa

October 30, 2016 · 18:16

The Atlantic Waltz

 

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Bid farewell to sweet October with this beautiful composition by Anna Gustavsson – one half of American/Swedish duo Premo & Gustavsson, whose US tour I featured earlier this week.

It’s also a great chance to hear a nyckelharpa, the iconic Swedish instrument famously played by 18th-19th century master nyckelharpist Carl Ersson Bössa (Byss-Kalle), composer of last week’s Fiddletails post.

 

Premo & Gustavsson

Laurel Premo (fiddle), Anna Gustavsson (nyckelharpa)

(‘The Atlantic Waltz – Premo & Gustavsson’, YouTube video, 4:47. Published by Laurel Premo, 24 Aug 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO8zjMNDfjw)

 

Album alert!

Laurel & Anna’s new album I Walked Abroad is out now – available as download or CD from cdbaby

 

Premo & Gustavsson:  website

Laurel Premo:  website    Red Tail Ring*

Anna Gustavsson:  website

*From time to time, Fiddletails features Laurel Premo and Michael Beauchamp‘s duo Red Tail Ring – use the Search box to find posts of their acclaimed music.

You can hear another tune by Premo & Gustavsson here, in a wonderful pairing of nyckelharpa and gourd banjo.

 

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October 23, 2016 · 13:00

Gig Alert!

 

Premo & Gustavsson USA CD-Release Tour

October 19th – 30th, 2016

PG-UD109-prepared

Chicago TODAY!

Then: MI, PA, MD, NY, MA,

and finishing Sunday 30 October in Boston, MA

Details/booking here

A great follow-up to yesterday’s Swedish tune: Anna Gustavsson on nyckelharpa, Laurel Premo on gourd banjo and fiddle, as they launch their new CD I Walked Abroad. This duo is really special – catch their fabulous concerts and workshops wherever you can.

I’ll be featuring a track later this week. In the meantime, here’s a reminder from an earlier Fiddletails post: Sally in the Garden

premo-gustavsson-closeup1Premo & Gustavsson

 

 

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October 22, 2016 · 14:33

Slängpolska efter Byss-Kalle

 

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The Swedish 3/4 time slängpolska plays in some strangely danceable world between polka and waltz. This popular example was composed by Uppland herring fisherman, bargeman and renowned nyckelharpist Carl Ersson Bössa (1783-1847), known as Byss-Kalle (or Byss-Calle).

To non-Scandinavian ears, the rhythm is extraordinary: there’s an interesting discussion of slängpolska timing, along with details of Byss-Kalle’s life, at Banjo Hangout here.

 

Christer Häggmark (fiddle), Urban Andersson (accordion)

Lovely dance-speed rendering played on the hoof at the Delsbostämman festival, Delsbo, Sweden, July 2007.

(‘Slängpolska efter Byss-Kalle’, YouTube video, 2:35. Published by Scan Fiddle, 16 July 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjnSrDsUlcI)

 

Laurel Swift (fiddle)

Teaching video from Laurel’s West London Folk Band class.

(‘Swedish Polska’, YouTube video, 1:16. Published by Mary Doody, 16 Feb 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7tCRCyB3Iw)

 

Anahata (melodeon)

(‘Slängpolska efter Byss-Kalle’ – Anahata, melodeon, YouTube video, 2:48. Published by anahatamelodeon, 3 Apr 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJMJpbMzAFQ)

 

Gig Alert!

Laurel Swift plays double bass and clog dances for ancient/modern folk dance band Gadarene – currently on an their second album launch tour. album_6panelmooncut_proof

Dates remaining:

Tuesday 25 Oct: Exeter
Friday 28 Oct: London
Friday 4 Nov: Watchet
Friday 25 Nov: Bristol

Details/booking here

 

Christer Häggmark:  Facebook

Urban Andersson:  Facebook

Laurel Swift:  website   Facebook

Laurel’s Ealing workshop videos and sheet music:  https://ealingsessions.wordpress.com/

Anahata:  website  YouTube

 

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May 9, 2016 · 13:37

Sally In The Garden

 

Originally a bawdy ballad, there are two basic versions of this Appalachian Kentucky tune, some more crooked than others. I love Premo & Gustavsson’s rendering for the hauntingly off-world sounds from their uncommon pairing of indigenous Swedish and American folk instruments.

This version of the melody is usually played in Dm, but here it’s in Am. Fiddlers generally play it cross-tuned*. Laurel Premo says of her gourd banjo: ‘I use a version of the “double c” tuning. The gourd banjo is a few steps lower from the standard banjo tuning, but the relationships on the strings are the same as you’d find in double C.’

The tune has an interesting thread on banjohangout

*For more information on cross-tuning, see post Newt Payne’s Tune, and/or Search ‘cross-tuning’ to find other cross-tuned melodies.

 

Premo & Gustavsson

Laurel Premo (gourd banjo), Anna Gustavsson (nyckelharpa)

 

(‘Sally In The Garden – Premo & Gustavsson’ YouTube video, 4.06. Posted by Laurel Premo, 24 Aug 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PXxOnmAnDg)

 

Album alert!

The duo will be releasing an album this autumn – and I’ll be featuring a tune from it as soon as it’s available.

In the meantime, you can find out more about their many other projects here:

Laurel Premo:  website  (Fiddletails has also featured Laurel’s acclaimed duo Red Tail Ring – use the Search box to find posts of their compelling music.)

Anna Gustavsson:  website

 

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December 18, 2015 · 17:26

Three Christmas Jigs

Hello everyone!

It’s been a longer break than I’d hoped, but here I am again – and there are more tunes to come to celebrate Christmas and New Year.

My first Christmas post is this  sprightly set of jigs played and sung in wonderful harmony by Finnish folk band Himmeli – named for the traditional Finnish geometric ornaments made of straw  hung above dining tables from Christmas to midsummer to ensure a good crop in the coming year.Himmeli image_n

I Saw Three Ships (trad. English)

On lapsi syntynyt meille  (There is a child born to us) (trad. Finnish)

Sussex Carol (trad. English)

 

Himmeli

Markus Asunta (flute), Jaakko Kyrö (octave mandolin), Paula Susitaival (fiddle), Anni Tolvanen (nyckelharpa, vocals)

 

(‘HIMMELI – Three Christmas Jigs’ YouTube video, 3:41. Posted by Himmeli Folk, 8 Nov 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvj7_IIU2s4)

 

Further details of Himmeli’s gigs, recordings etc are on their website, and on Facebook.

 

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