Nyckel Notes #1, Oct 1995 - American Nyckelharpa Association

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Nyckel Notes Oct 1995 6 All this seemed confusing until I saw a small business card on the window between a weaving and the nyckelharpa. The name on it was Birgitta Wallin. Someone else walked into the shop and the woman proprietor, who was Birgitta, was demonstrating the sound of the harpa, though it was clear she did not play. At this point I corralled Becky, who was gazing at a black antique scarf in the next store and we went in and spoke to Birgitta, who speaks perfect English. She is Henry Wallin’s wife. Henry is an artist and fiddler and, as you might know, was the late Ceylon’s brother and musical partner. Their father was Albin Wallin. Birgitta was very interested in our interest in the harpa and in the music. It was not the first time that we had run into the cachet of being from TEXAS, but still able to appreciate Swedish music and dance. Of course, if you start with Leif Alpsjö's books, you play many of the tunes after Ceylon (and Henry) Wallin. We exchanged pleasantries and notes on personalities that we each know. She and we are particularly fond of Bo Peterzon, and it's always nice to speak well of him. We had just seen Bo at Orsa (at the Medal testing, a dance event) and indeed even ran into him on the road south. Birgitta also showed us many originals of Henry's drawings which are reproduced in the book, and even others. He loved to draw fiddlers. We were particularly taken by a beautiful and abstract one of an allspel which is not in the book. She had collaborated in the production of the book and companion 2 CD set, which they see very much as a tribute to Ceylon who died at too young an age. In fact, Birgitta wrote the introduction. Knowing that we had bought the set, even if not from her, she invited us back the next day about noon when she said Henry would be there, and he'd be pleased to autograph the book for me. We said we would try to be there. We were not fully prepared for what transpired the next day. When we got to the shop, she was there alone. She recognized and greeted us and asked if we like Sherry. We nodded yes and she grabbed a bottle. She told us that Henry was out in the rear garden. She locked the door and spirited us through the building to its garden court. There was Henry, a table and a sandwich lunch. She invited Becky and me to join her and Henry. Henry's English is not strong, though he appeared to understand much more easily than to speak. We talked much small talk over sandwiches and Sherry (not a bad combination) and I explained that I was a thoroughly amateurish and inexperienced harpa player (I'd started less than two years before.) who hadn't touched a harpa in about two weeks. Nonetheless, after lunch Henry insisted that we go back to the shop and play together. I was shivering in my sneakers. To make matters worse, he gave me Ceylon's own harpa to play. It was made and signed, on top near the drone string, by Hans Gille. The instrument's workmanship was not particularly slick, but it had a bold sound on all but the drone. Ceylon’s bow which I used was made by Eric Sahlström. According to Henry, they're the ones on the book cover, and probably on the postage stamp issued in Ceylon's honor. I could hardly hold the bow and hesitated as long as I could when he started fiddling the popular Polska efter Båtsman Däck. I guess he figured even the Texan GOTTA know this one. Well, I played it and eventually other Ceylon tunes I knew from Leif's first book. But I could not lift my concentration from what wonderfully rhythmic music Henry was making even with these simple tunes. He was pounding the floor with his feet, no doubt to encourage me to play to his tempos, which by the way were for the polskas VERY slow, creating much room within the measure for creativity. Kind of reminded me of friend Bruce Sagan in regards to the body action. Yet Henry's tempo for the Springvals efter Ceylon (Leif's No. 10), was rapidfire even as compared with recordings of it. It was, I guess, a music lesson for me. I cannot adequately describe the profound musicality of Henry's fiddle playing. I had experienced it before when Leif showed me how HE played a tune. But here, though it was not as tonally rich, it was more intense, even more internally rhythmic. He used very little bow, near the tip. I could hardly contain myself; it was really heaven. Perhaps it was the sense of occasion. I can't really say. The lesson lasted between thirty and forty minutes according to Becky. I lost track of time. We had an appointment to pick up the candelabra and began to say good-bye. Henry and I embraced. Birgitta slipped a few postcards with Henry's drawings on them in my copy of Roslagslåtar. We promised to write, and were on our way. The book, by the way, is wonderful and includes music for 62 tunes played by the Wallins, together with pictures, drawings, and commentary on the tunes and especially the techniques Ceylon used to play them. Much of the fingering and double stopping that Ceylon used is indicated. Highly recommended. I only just recently began to listen to the CD's. Maybe because Henry's playing was still ringing in me and I didn't want it to stop. You will want to hear how the Wallins play even familiar tunes. Also highly recommended.
Nyckel Notes Oct 1995 7 I’ll bet you musicians have good experiences like this all the time. Editor’s note: According to Sture Hogmark, the nyckelharpa made by Hasse Gille for Ceylon is a copy of the harpa that Eric Sahlström made for Ceylon in 1957, which is such a famous nyckelharpa that it has come to be known as “femtio-sjuan” (the ‘57). Hasse made several copies of it in the early 60’s. It has a hollowed-out body (the sides and bottom are from a single piece of wood, rather than sides glued to a bottom) and is considered to be a great harpa. The story is that Ceylon liked Eric’s harpa so much, he thought it might be smart to have a spare, and asked Eric to make him another. Eric said no, Ceylon already had one of his harpas, why would he need two? Hasse then asked (prompted by Ceylon) if he could copy it, and Eric said O.K. There was always some tension between Ceylon and Eric after that. A Letter to the ANA from Leif Alpsjö To all members of the ANA, and to all others reading this first newsletter from the ANA, AT LAST it has become a reality. The Nyckelharpa, the unique musical instrument of the province of Uppland for 500 years and today the national instrument of Sweden, now has an association of its own in the big country in the west. THANK YOU to Bart Brashers, Gail Halverson, Sheila Morris and Bruce Sagan for starting this association (and to e-mail that made the job simpler). When I first started playing folk music seriously in 1970, most of the fiddlers were “the old guys.” Generally very friendly and with old traditions and habits - both good and bad. I could still sense echoes from the beginning of this century in their language, manner of fiddling and other traditions. Women fiddlers were relatively few. Today, almost 50% of the fiddlers are women. In 1971 I gave my first workshops and courses in fiddling. Sometimes the students showed up with fiddles (at that time I only played the fiddle) that simply were not playable - and their fiddling technique surely was not the best. Even in the late 1970’s people came to courses with instruments that were so bad off that we had to start the course by fixing them up. But gradually the numerous courses all over Sweden in playing and making fiddles and nyckelharpas had an effect. The instruments today are mostly good looking and well adjusted. Most fiddlers have understood the importance of having a good instrument and bow and to maintain it well. As far as the nyckelharpa is concerned however, our attitudes are slightly behind those of the violin. But then again, the violin's design and traditions were already well established in the year 1700, while in my opinion, the corresponding year for the nyckelharpa is 1970. The way I see it, the nyckelharpa today has reached its final design. I do not think they need to become any "better". The slightly hoarse, scratchy sound, and the clattering sound from the knavrar (keys), is very charming to me. It sounds of tradition. If we refine the nyckelharpa too much, it leaves the dance floors of the barns and the cottages and steps into the finer salons. With a more refined sound it would sound more like a viola or a cello. No, ever since my childhood the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end when I heard Eric Sahlström play. When I heard him as a little boy, everything around me stopped and I just had to listen. Today, I feel very fortunate to be able to produce that sound myself, although I do not have his fantastic ability. Uppland, the home province of the nyckelharpa, is an open landscape of plains, both geographically and in the music. Unlike Dalarna, There are only small differences in musical dialects across the province. On the other hand, there is an openness and freshness in our tunes and in the relationships between us fiddlers, like the space that the sun and the wind has over the plains of Uppland. Our masters, Eric Sahlström, Viksta Lasse and many others, have had a happy and generous attitude toward their music and toward us students. Willingly and generously they have shared their heritage with us, and their spirit is very vivid and strong among us who are today bearers of traditions - to share, to play and to have fun. Since 1989 I have made nine trips to the USA, and have been happily surprised to see the fine instruments that fiddlers have - both fiddles and nyckelharpas. And your playing is very good - some of you have the same ability as the better Swedish fiddlers. The interest and devotion I have met among US Spelmän has pleased me a lot. Both on the dance floor and when we play together, I have felt a response that has filled me with joy for a long time after each trip. You match the mood of my Swedish masters - dancers, singers and fiddlers - very well. There is neither right nor wrong among us - the
Page 1 and 2: October 1995 Number 1 Nyckel Notes
Page 3 and 4: Nyckel Notes Oct 1995 3 Spela Bätt
Page 5: Nyckel Notes Oct 1995 5 Eric Sahlst
Page 9 and 10: Nyckel Notes Oct 1995 9 LEIF ALPSJ
Page 11 and 12: Nyckel Notes Oct 1995 11 Editor’s

Nyckel Notes #1, Oct 1995 - American Nyckelharpa Association

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