lydia's musical adventures in Sweden, 2012–2013

Our Christmas concert came together into a very pleasing show. In contrast with the fall concert, this performance included both the playing class and the dance class. It was fun to introduce more collaboration. There were more opportunities for smaller groups, not quite so much everyone-playing-most-of-the-time. And of course opps for the musicians to play for dancing. And for the dancers to play (everyone played in the final number), and the musicians to dance.

We’d heard that previous classes haven’t always had a good time working together, so I was glad to find that our group continued to get along well and in good humor throughout the weeks of prep. Though occasionally, in the early stages, the balance seemed to tip until it felt like we were a bit more about the democratic process than about the music… But we did also benefit from super-skilled coaching from each of the music and dance teachers. It was especially interesting to have feedback from dance teachers about playing for dancing.

My three most visible bits of the show were a solo halling — on 5-string fiddle with an open tuning, D-A-D-A-E — for a solo dance by David, a duo Kyrkpolskan (av Lars Näsbom) with Elisabet, and a trio playing Beethoven polska (av Eric Sahlström) with Elisabet and Einar. And my much-practiced brief Swedish intro to the Sahlström tune — which I think was fully intelligible, inasmuch as nobody admitted otherwise. I learned that I would like to manufacture more opportunities to practice playing solo for dancers, which I have been neglecting in pursuit of the different-but-overlapping joys of duo playing.

After the concert there was of course spel till dans (playing for dancing), leading off with special appearances by our illustrious faculty — a set by Olov and a set by Ditte. Later in the evening, Andrea and I played a half-hour set together as well, which was fun.

(Thanks to Petra for pics; I didn’t get any of my own.)

Student concerts at ESI feature home-baked goodies for fika, so we had a big baking party. I confess that most of my personal contribution entailed staying out of the way, plus an occasional round of photo documentation, but all will have to admit that the delicious results spoke for themselves.

While I’m at it, I’ll throw in a couple pics from other kinds of prep. But mostly not from our two long weeks of intensive rehearsals and coaching, which you can imagine on your own.

(The longer I didn’t go and fetch my camera, the later it became, so there are only these few pics from Petra’s new camera as wielded by Johannes.)

Super-sweet: the ESI staff provided our own little Lucia pageant during morning fika. Stina baked lussekatter and served glogg, and set the serving table with even more festive candles than usual. We received lyric sheets and sang along a bit. It was all quite charming.

My new favorite cute Xmas song: Tomtarnas julnatt is about tomtar (elves, more or less) tiptoeing about and enjoying the yummy food left out for them. Ours didn’t look the least bit like this, but it would be fun if it had: