Norwegian Folk Music
Geoff Grainger
Geoff Grainger
Last updated: 11.10.23
These web pages were set up as a result of first hearing and later singing with Ship'n Whales in Bremen-Vegesack in 2002 during the Festival Musik Maritim between the 13th and 15th of September. Whilst at my stage life I can reasonably say that I will no longer learn Norwegian or sing that country's songs and never have such a song in my repertoire. No, this webpage is to promote Ship'n Whales CDs and to support any Norwegian out there in cyberspace who would like to make English language contributions on Norwegian folk music. Interestingly, my Norwegian heroes only use English in their repertoire of shanties and sea songs.!
Cool Vikings and Jolly Good Fellows!
Ship'n Whales are an a capella shanty group and their members are Høgne Skøld, Per Robert Jøntvedt, Frank Robert Thomsen, Ølvind Nefstad, Ivar Nefstad and Svend Martens. I have very happy memories of singing with them during a break between performance duties at the festival. It was an impromptu session whilst beer drinking which charmed the casual bystanders. It was a special joy for me to belt songs such Come me Lads (Let union be) at +90db without amplifiers and similar shnick-shnack and joined by 6 throats also each at +90db and more. Wherever you are lads, I wish you well and every success and hope that we may one day meet again.
... and the story continues: Fast Forward
to sometime in 2005. I was tasked by the landlady of The Irish Pub, Schnoor, Bremen to greet a Norwegian football team to play a friendly against the pub. "Gesagt, getan", I learned Ja, vi elsker dette landet (the Norwegian National Anthem) and sang it to a bemused group of foot-balling Vikings at Bremen Airport. Due to lack of response, I quickly changed to Bog Down in the Valley Oh which proved more effective.
And then in 2010, Norwegian fan Nina Kreft was learning Norwegian songs and invited me to accompany her with my concertina. The story does not end there. In Oslo, January 2018 as a Sacred Harp singer, I met one with whom we share a penchant for the Kazoo!.
Ship'n Whales are an a capella shanty group and their members are Høgne Skøld, Per Robert Jøntvedt, Frank Robert Thomsen, Ølvind Nefstad, Ivar Nefstad and Svend Martens. I have very happy memories of singing with them during a break between performance duties at the festival. It was an impromptu session whilst beer drinking which charmed the casual bystanders. It was a special joy for me to belt songs such Come me Lads (Let union be) at +90db without amplifiers and similar shnick-shnack and joined by 6 throats also each at +90db and more. Wherever you are lads, I wish you well and every success and hope that we may one day meet again.
Geoff Grainger, Bremen-Vegesack, November 2006
to sometime in 2005. I was tasked by the landlady of The Irish Pub, Schnoor, Bremen to greet a Norwegian football team to play a friendly against the pub. "Gesagt, getan", I learned Ja, vi elsker dette landet (the Norwegian National Anthem) and sang it to a bemused group of foot-balling Vikings at Bremen Airport. Due to lack of response, I quickly changed to Bog Down in the Valley Oh which proved more effective.
And then in 2010, Norwegian fan Nina Kreft was learning Norwegian songs and invited me to accompany her with my concertina. The story does not end there. In Oslo, January 2018 as a Sacred Harp singer, I met one with whom we share a penchant for the Kazoo!.
Geoff Grainger, Hillsborough, April 2020
| Title | Performer | Composer |
|---|
 |
Din tanke er fri (2:35) | Alf Cranner | |
|
Glade Jul (5:27) | Sissel Kyrkjebø | |
|
Ja, vi elsker dette landet (3:14) | Den norske Studentersangforening | |
|
Ja, vi elsker dette landet (4:31) | Sissel Kyrkjebø | |
|
Kanske kommer kongen (3:01) | Knutsen & Ludvigsen | |
|
Per Spelmann (2:58) | Geirr Lystrup | |
|
Per Spelmann (2:33) | Kira Learns Norwegian | |
|
Så går vi rundt en einebærbusk (4:08) | Pudding-TV |