Uppsala University’s Choir at Campus Gotland has been an interesting outlet for the eldest Noiceling. She enjoys singing with them and the director appreciates her regular attendance. Drawing from quite a small pool of students and other community members, Director Dan may be a bit over ambitious, at least from Hil’s perspective. They have dabbled in a wide variety of music but with perhaps not enough time to master the pieces. Most are sung in Swedish, which is another challenge for many of the students. Occasionally they do a piece in English or Middle English to fit the medieval theme (which oft reigns færost in Visby) and our kid gets to enjoy being the “authority” on English pronunciation, haha! Below I’ve copied a sample from a song that is sung in Middle English and is very popular for Spring in Sweden. I think most choirs learn it, and it seems that Swedish people think Americans must have a better idea of how to say these words. So that has been rather fun for Director Dan’s “favorite American” (yes, she’s the only one) YouTube to the rescue!
| Middle English Sumer is icumen in Lhude sing cuccu Groweþ sed and bloweþ med and springþ þe wde nu Sing cuccu Awe bleteþ after lomb lhouþ after calue cu Bulluc sterteþ bucke uerteþ murie sing cuccu Cuccu cuccu Wel singes þu cuccu ne swik þu nauer nu Sing cuccu nu • Sing cuccu. Sing cuccu • Sing cuccu nu[9] | Modern English Summer[a] has arrived, Loudly sing, cuckoo! The seed is growing And the meadow is blooming, And the wood is coming into leaf now, Sing, cuckoo! The ewe is bleating after her lamb, The cow is lowing after her calf; The bullock is prancing, The billy-goat farting, [or “The stag cavorting”[11]] Sing merrily, cuckoo! |
Back in December the choir had the rare opportunity to perform the Lucia songs at the St Nicolai Ruin, the remains of a 900 year old church that has been transformed into a modern venue. It is not, however, completely protected from the elements. They host mainly summer events. And Luciadagen 2024 featured a snowy, blustery procession and a somewhat miserable performance by a choir who could barely keep their ‘Lucia linne’ in place, let alone follow the music properly in the dark and frigid conditions. At least it was a memorable event and an unusual way to experience the ruins. Here are some photos of our recent visit. We couldn’t go inside because they were preparing for an event.
After Uppsala, I shepherded Mom and Dad to Stockholm, where we met up with Hil to see a few highlights and then travel with her on the ferry back to Gotland. We toured the Vasa, explored the Hallwyl mansion with an interesting history and special exhibit about Miniatures called A Little Wide World, which I loved. If I had better eyesight I think I’d get into making miniatures. There was a great demo video.
The Vasa Museum’s exhibit about the people who perished in the disaster was really fascinating. Because so much was discovered about the people using DNA and analysis of clothing and other items buried in the mud, it’s easy to feel connected to the past. The details about their clothing, accessories and what they carried in their pockets moved me. One young man wore a blue-green cloak and shoes of felted wool and leather. They were of homemade construction but elevated with unexpected details which indicate that someone who cared spent extra time and attention in making his clothing.
It was strange to feel sad for specific individuals for what happened to them on August 10, 1628… another example of political optics (open gun ports, etc) leading to disaster because “it would be foolhardy — deadly — to point the finger at the king, who was responsible for the tragedy.” And every warning sign along the way was ignored due to fear and sycophantic loyalty.
We spent a relaxing day at Gotland’s Museum, which has a new viking exhibit, Midgård, which I missed, thinking I’d already seen everything twice. It was fabulous, according to the crew, a must see, so I’ll have to go next time. H will add to her to-do list for the Rindi Student Union Board, for which she is Secretary, to promote the student membership at the museum.
We roamed around Visby and gave Grampa a tour, particularly of the ruins and the Medieval Wall. Mom joined in for some of it and we even found a yarn shop, Yllet, which sold some local yarns so we’ll make our own Gotland wool hats.
Campus Gotland Kammarkör would perform with Anna-Lotta Larsson and provide back up vocals. Since she was quite famous in the 80’s she drew a comparatively large crowd, and we were glad to have arrived early. Even so it was tough to get good seats in the cathedral which has large pillars blocking the view from many positions, leaving only a few good spots. Still, it was a super fun experience in spite of things being a little chaotic. We didn’t know what to expect, and there wasn’t a written program. The choir sang a few songs individually, interspersed with pieces by Anna-Lotta and Andreas. H enjoyed working with professional musicians and looks forward to doing so again, perhaps for the annual Christmas concert.
Next post will continue with Ebba the younger and her adventures with the grandparents, and some of Bryant’s recent doings as well. He got to drive a John Deere tractor!
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