Those wacky Swedes

2008-01-13 | Filed under Music |

Last night was the semi-annual ceilidh, filled with the standard sketches, auction, songs, and other performances. I found the nyckelharpa performance most interesting, by virtue of the fact that I had not previously known the nyckelharpa existed.

Nyckelharpa

It is a rather ridiculous looking Swedish instrument, but it has a great sound. (Here’s some Bach.) If I had a musical bone in my body, I would teach myself to play the nyckelharpa. Largely, I confess, because of the entertainment value of the “What is that thing?” looks one would get.

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4 Responses to “Those wacky Swedes”

  1. patti abbott on 2008-01-13 1:49 pm

    You live in a much more esoteric world than I do. Are you sure you’re in the Philly area and not northern Europe.

  2. Megan on 2008-01-13 5:24 pm

    The Delaware Valley is a bastion of Scottish Country Dancing. Many of those dancers started in college, primarily in the Tri-Co (Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Swat). As a result, the local dance community gets a pretty steady influx of highly intelligent people, a fair number of whom are geeks of one flavor or another; folk dance and music just happen to be where their interests intersect. So even though I do not have intense personal interest in dance and music, it’s still natural that I know people who seek out instruments like the nyckelharpa and learn to play it by listening to CDs.

    Okay, I guess I did just want to come up with some way to say that it’s “natural” for me to know a nyckelharpa player.

  3. Peter on 2008-01-13 6:54 pm

    The Philly area, you say? I’ve lived in America’s Next Great City for eighteen years, and I have never come across a nyckelharpa until now.
    ===================
    Detectives Beyond Borders
    “Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home”
    http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/

  4. Megan on 2008-01-13 6:56 pm

    Then clearly you haven’t been going to enough SCD events… :)

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