2010 Scandinavian Festival Events

Featuring Icelandic Expo

w  Entertainment w Art w Activities w Food w

w Film w  Genealogy  w    5K Run/Walk  w 

 June 25-27

Entertainment  

Choir: Reykjavik Boys Choir – The choir consists of boys age 8-13 who sing “Sing like angels, behave like gentlemen and play like boys,” as their motto describes them. The boys choir performs both religious and secular music, and every other year travel abroad on concert tours. The choir has visited the Nordic countries, the Czech Republic, the U.S.A., and England among other places. In the spring of 2006 the choir went on a six-day trip to France, where they performed at Notre Dame, Paimpol and in a Paris district city hall. The success of the choir is first and foremost due to the efforts of the conductor, Fridrik S. Kristinsson and with the assistance of their pianist Lenka Mateova. 

Dance: NorSweDane Dancers – The NorSweDane Dancers love to dance and share the traditions of their Nordic heritage.  Comprised of dancers from the local Nordic Clubs, many have danced together for several years, and they welcome new dancers to join in the fun throughout the year.  

Dance: Scandia Fun Folk Dancers – was formed in 1988 to dance for fun and to learn dances from Nordic countries.  In true folk tradition, they are of all ages.  They dance annually at Winnipeg's Folklorama festival, as well as for other events and communities. At present they are under the direction of Jane Meech.  

Instrumental Music: Glenn Henriksen, Pianist – Glenn Henriksen, who is Danish, is an accomplished, versatile pianist and organist. He began piano lessons at age seven, and continued through high school. At age thirteen he became the organist at his hometown church. Glenn attended Luther College in Decorah, Iowa and received further musical instruction. In the years following, he has played for a wide variety of events, including solo piano and organ concerts, church services, weddings, funerals, receptions and other social activities. Glenn’s repertoire includes classical, ragtime, blues and jazz standards, pop and rock, country, Latin, gospel, and sacred. Glenn’s lifetime experience in many musical genres has enabled him to develop a unique musical style, resulting in one-of-a-kind improvised arrangements. Glenn resides in Spirit Lake, Iowa and Armstrong, Iowa.

Instrumental/Vocal: Paul and Mary Duo – Paul Wilson and Mary Abendroth are a husband and wife team from Brainerd, MN. The couple has spent much of their adult lives exploring the folk arts and culture of their forebearers, both as Scandinavians and Scandinavian-Americans. Paul sings and plays the two-row button accordion, fiddle, guitar and pump. Mary sings and plays pump organ and guitar. The two present songs in Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, English and "Swinglish" and provide translations and historical context for their songs.  Mary and Paul have performed as a duo all over the Midwest and they have also traveled around the U.S. to perform, from New York City to Junction City, Oregon, to Waco, Texas, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, etc. etc. The duo has traveled extensively in Norway, Sweden and Finland, gathering musical inspiration and performing a bit for the folks there too. They have appeared on National Public Radio on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion".

Instrumental Music: Fiddling by Bud Larsen: Bud Larsen is a Hardanger fiddler… He builds, plays and creates the Hardanger violin which is Norway’s national instrument! Larsen worked for nine years as an apprentice under master fiddle builder, Gunnar Helland, with whom he restored, built, and ornately decorated Hardanger fiddles by hand. Some of his violins are made from Stave Church wood from 1100-1200! Recently, Larsen played with Naustedal Spelmauslag for a contest in Norway.

Instrumental Music: Kringen Accordion Club – This group of about 30 people meets monthly at the local Sons of Norway to learn the ways of the accordion, practice, and prepare programs for various events in the area. They will play a variety of melodies that will be music for our souls. You may even spontaneously start dancing to their lively tunes! 

Instrumental Music: Soumi Rosvot Finn Band – This band has fun playing which is evident, and plays fantastic music everyone will love! You can even kick up your heals and dance to their music if you’d like! 

Vocal Music: Icelandic Singer/Soprano, Gudrun Ingimars began her vocal training at the Reykjavík Academy of Singing and Vocal Arts. She furthered her studies in London and Stuttgart, where her professor was Sylvia Geszty. Ms. Ingimars opera credits are many and varied. She has sung leading roles at the Bavarian Opera, the Stuttgart Opera and Markgräfliches Opera House in Bayreuth. Furthermore, she is a well-known concert singer and has performed as a soloist in many countries in Europe. Ms. Ingimars has performed more than sixty operetta concerts around Germany and Austria and is a frequent guest soloist with the Johann Strauss Orchestra Wiesbaden and the Alt-Wiener Strauss Ensemble in Stuttgart. She received a special recognition at the International Erika Köth Competition in 1996. In her home country, Iceland, she has received recognitions from various cultural institutions. www.gudrun-ingimars.com 

Genealogy

Genealogy Resource Room for ALL genealogies… even Irish & German! – See displays, discover information and visit with local genealogy experts on hand to learn about the various tools available to research your Nordic roots.  Bring to the festival birth and death dates of your relatives, places where they lived, and as much information you can come up with about your family. Who knows, you may find your long lost relatives!! 

Sessions

Author, Nancy Marie Brown – Ms. Brown has over 25 years experience as a writer and editor. She holds a B.A. in English Writing and an M.A. in Comparative Literature, both from Penn State University. From 1981 to 2003, she covered science and scholarship for Research/Penn State magazine. She has published many books including The Far Traveler: Voyages of a Viking Woman, the saga of an adventurous woman who explored America a thousand years ago and of the archaeologists who are bringing her world to life. The New York Times Book Review called it a "snappily written biography of a time and place."  It's "a marvelously sneaky history of the Viking mind," said Kirkus Reviews. "A nimble synthesis of the literary and the scientific that will charm even readers who didn't know they were interested."  

Author, Christina Sunley – Christina grew up hearing stories about her Icelandic relatives and their journey to North America, following the 1875 volcanic eruption that decimated much of Iceland's farmland. To write The Tricking of Freya, she spent several years researching Icelandic history, mythology, and genealogy, including three trips to Iceland and a stint as writer-in-residence at Klaustrið (The Monastery), a stone farmhouse in a remote area, near where her grandfather had lived. The Tricking of Freya  depicts a young woman who  is summoned back to the formative place of her youth, a remote Canadian village called Gimli, where her Icelandic ancestors settled long ago.  In Gimli, Freya picks up the thread of a secret--one that leads her through her history and ultimately back to Iceland.  Along the way, we learn the story of her early visits to Gimli, the truth about her exuberant, mercurial aunt, and the full scope of a tragedy that shattered her childhood in an instant.

Icelandic Presentation by Gail Einarson-McCleery, President of the Iceland National League of North America & Almar Grimson, President of the Iceland National League of Iceland – Get an update on the Icelandic National League of North America from their presidents! 

Environmental Presentation by Wayne Seams – The first part of his career, Wayne Seams worked as a chemical engineer in Saudi Arabia for one of the world’s largest oil companies. Mr. Seams now spends much of his time in the lab at UND’s department of chemical engineering working with other researchers from around the state to find practical ways of replacing oil with renewable fuels. Seams is a professor in chemical engineering and director of the Sustainable Energy Research Initiative and Supporting Education (SUNRISE) program, Seams’ combination of experience in industry, research and education provide a unique insight on energy issues. Part of Seams’ festival session relates how Scandinavian countries are leaders in our ‘Green’ world efforts.

Film

The Hjemkomst of Robert Asp – View this award-winning documentary that underscores Asp’s vision to return to the land of his ancestors in a proud vessel which he and others built.  Follow the crew across the continent as they fulfilled a dream. 

Building the Dream: The Moorhead Stave Church – This film deepens one’s appreciation for the Hopperstad Stave Church replica and the heritage of the region.  The film explores the story of Guy Paulson’s quest to recreate an icon for the community and probes the history of the distinctive woodcarvings and structure. 

A Photographer's View Of Iceland by Wayne Gudmundson - is a travelogue documentary by Wayne Gudmundson from his journey to Iceland.  The film showcases the beautiful landscape and friendly people that have inspired countless artists to capture the sights and explore its volcanic majesty. Gudmundson has produced nine books and his work is in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal, the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, and the U.S. Embassy in Reykjavik, Iceland.  He is a professor of photography at Minnesota State University, Moorhead.

Food

Taste of Scandinavia – Feast like a Viking!  Come for morning coffee and stay through dinner. You don’t have to wait for Christmas for your fill of your favorite Nordic foods. Delicacies will be for sale at five food booths hosted by our local Nordic clubs. Prices vary. 

Iceland Chef – Learn how to create Icelandic foods from our Icelandic chef, Anders Ericssonn. Anders was born in Reykjavik, Iceland and raised in Poplar, MN. He graduated high school at age 15, obtained a degree in Architecture and then in 1996 graduated from the CIA (Culinary Institute of America). Currently he lives in Minneapolis and is the owner and proprietor of My Cheesecakes (www.mycheesecakes.com) where his hand-made cheesecakes are sold globally. He has cooked on “Home Cooking with Paula Deen”, on the “Barefoot Contessa with Ina Garten”, and he has won numerous cake decorating awards.  His client list includes Oprah Winfrey, former MN governor Arne Carlson, and former President Bill Clinton. His passion in cooking includes changing traditional Icelandic and Scandinavian recipes to create fresh new dishes for a new generation. 

Miscellaneous

Nordic Style Show – Makeover… Nordic Style! Check out the traditional costumes and designs, so you’ll know what to wear to make a Nordic style statement! You will be able to see outfits from Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland, close up, as you visit with the models post-runway. 

Nordic Marketplace – Come prepared with your gift shopping lists as you visit the 40+ booths of Scandinavian folk and fine art, exceptional crafts, and unique imports. Enjoy the ethnic organizations and museum booths. 

On-The-Hour Children’s Activities – Children can play, learn, and create activity rooms! Kid’s will even create a VOLCANO during one of the sessions! Every day, there are planned activities for kids including: a Nordic Sing-a-long, Art projects, Story-telling, Learning how to speak a Nordic language, and MUCH MORE!!  

Nordic 5K Run/Walk – On Saturday morning at 9:00 am the Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival will have its first ever Nordic 5K Run/Walk! Run or walk with the Reykjavik Boys Choir!! To register, go online at www.NordicCultureClubs.org to print the registration form. JOIN THE FUN in our Nordic RUN/WALK!

Troll on Stilts – David Braddock has over 30 years experience creating, developing, directing and performing as a character specialist. Braddock brings to our Scandinavian Festival Thor, the God of Thunder and Thorkelson, a trolls on stilts. He has participated in Time Travel experiences portraying Scandinavian immigrants and he is one of the originators of the Trolleri Players at the Norsk Hostfest of Minot, ND. Enjoy Mr.Braddock and his characters! The 8 foot tall Nordic Troll joins our festival making guests laugh and smile on Saturday and Sunday from 11 am – 1 pm!

Nordic Night Life

Friday:

5:00 pm, Icelandic Art Exhibition by Kyja Kristjanssen  – Kyja Kristjanssen, Director of Minnesota State University, Moorhead Film Studies, will exhibit stills from her documentary “Sveit” in The Spirit Room, 111 Broadway, Downtown Fargo. The visual stills and streamed techno-documentary explore family history, landscape, and collective memory. Filmed in Skagafjord, Iceland.  

6:00 - 8:00 pm, Icelandic Reception, HoDo Restaurant – The reception will feature Icelandic chef, Anders Ericssonn’s appetizers and entertainment by The Paul and Mary Duo. At 7:00 pm Icelandic honored guests and dignitaries will be recognized. Tickets are to be reserved by June 18^th from the NCC office, 701-478-9150. 

6:00 - 8:00 pm, Piano Music at Monte’s – Glenn Henriksen will play classical, ragtime, blues and jazz standards, pop and rock, country, Latin repertoire. Glenn’s lifetime experience in many musical genres has enabled him to develop a unique musical style, resulting in one-of-a-kind improvised arrangements. 

Saturday:

6:00 - 8:00 pm, Piano Music at Monte’s – Glenn Henriksen will play classical, ragtime, blues and jazz standards, pop and rock, country, Latin repertoire. Glenn’s lifetime experience in many musical genres has enabled him to develop a unique musical style, resulting in one-of-a-kind improvised arrangements.