Spursmann

EM43 / 2011

Kjære dansere og gode lyttere,

Dette er en cd med slåttemusikk på hardingfele spilt for dans, både med og uten dansere til stede.

Dansespelet på hardingfele er for meg en dialog mellom spelemann og danser(e). Når alt stemmer kan dialogen være intens og elektrisk – en kjenner det med en gang den er der og følelsen er fengslende og absolutt noe å jakte etter! De beste dialogene har jeg hatt med de danserne jeg kjenner godt. Det er forutsigbarheten skapt av kjennskapen til hverandre som gir en overraskelser man kan ta kontroll over – mestringen gir en trygghet til å gi på enda mer og til å utfordre hverandre.

Med denne cd’en håper jeg å gi et innblikk i hvordan jeg tolker dansespelet på hardingfele. Jeg håper også at cd’en kan være et bidrag til lokaler som til tider mangler spelemann.

God fornøyelse!

Kenneth de Gala

1. Gulfakse

Aspringartune (3/4 )after Lars Fykerud (1860-1902), Telemark. Its name harks back to a horse with a golden mane. I began play- ing it with Toby Weinberg on a visit to the United States. Tony had it from Hauk Buen. Later, I went to Hauk and worked on the tune with him.

2. Tåkatind

A halling tune (2/4) by Johannes Dahle (1890-1980) of Tinn, Telemark. Johannes’ source of inspiration for the composition was a lively stallion named Tåkatind [Misted mountain peak]. I learned the tune from my teacher of many years, Anne Svånaug Blengsdalen (formerly Haugan), who studied fiddling with Johannes’ brother, Gunnar Dahle (1902-1988).

3. Slåtten hans Hellik

Master dancer Hellik Dokka (1930-2011) of Numedal greatly enjoyed dancing springar to this tune. One of my most memorable performance experiences was playing this tune for Hellik and his dance partner, Ingeborg Herigstad, when they won Class D at Landskappleiken [the Norwegian Traditional Music and Dance Competition] in Oppdal, 2008. An older name for the tune was Helge Tresk, after a woman with this name. Hauk renamed it as Hellik’s Tune in 2005, when Hellik received the King’s Medal of Merit in Gold for his work with folk dance.

4. Ola Rosemålar

A Numedal springar composed by Arne Olsen, dedicated to deco- rative painter Olav K. Bratås (1901-1964). I learned this excel- lent dance tune from Øystein Ellefsen (1918-2003). He had his own special twist on it. Magne Aasen, who dances with Ellen Krokstrand on this recording, has used it at many competitions.

5. Ramsen

I learned this springar tune from Hauk Buen, who in turn had it from Olav S. Løndal (1904-1986), Tuddal, Telemark. I play it often for dancing. Ramsen is a name used for it in Numedal. It is a variant of Treskreppa [The wooden satchel/rucksack], said to have been composed by famous Telemark fiddler Myllarguten (Torgeir Augundson, 1801-1872) on the way home from Kongsbergmarken [The Kongsberg winter fair] – inspired by a jingling sound from his companion’s wooden pack.

6. Spursmann

A gangar/ halling tune (6/8) as played in Numedal. The tune has many variants. My main source for this form is Øystein Ellefsen. One of my early recollections from fid- dle and dance competitions at Kongsbergmarken is of Øystein playing it for dancing. Hellik Dokka often re- quested this tune when he was going to dance gangar – “… and play it a bit ‘gvass’ [sharp/brisk]”, he would add. The name Spursmann refers to a kind of go-between in a tradi- tional courtship process: The asking man visited a girl’s family to ask her to marry his friend.

7. Va’ det ‘kje du som leika med Guro

Wasn’t it you who played with Guro is a light, playful 2/4- tune that I’ve learned from a recording of Knut Buen. Eivind Bakken from Jondalen is dancing halling on the recording. This is also a good tune to use for dancing Numedal gangar.

8. Trulseguten

The Truls-boy is a springar in the tradition from Hovin, Telemark, that I learned from Øystein Ellefsen. Øystein had the tune from Halvor Høyset (1903-1983). In Numedal it is known by several names: Gamle-Hans-Slåtten [The Old-Hans Tune] and Bekær-Anne.

9. Gjestebodsgubben

This Telemark springar, that I learned from Hauk Buen, is a tune that Myllarguten is said to have composed. It has a lilting rhythm, and its melodic phrases allow a fiddler to have fun accompanying dancers. Gjestebod refers to a fes- tive gathering, often a wedding. Gubbe is a colloquial term for an old man. It is told that Myllarguten played the tune over and over again at a wedding in Vinje.

10. Fossegrimen

A gangar, played here in two forms. Its name, Fossegrimen, re- calls the tricky musical spirit living in waterfalls. The first ver- sion is one that Bjarne Pålerud (1937-1991) taught to the Kongsberg spelemannslag [fiddlers’ club] and that I later learned from Anne. The second version is one that I learned from a record- ing of Øystein Romtveit. Eivind Bakken and Arnhild Brennesvik have danced to the tune at many competitions, including Landskappleiken when they won in 2007 and 2008. They are danc- ing on this recording.

11. Hellik Ruud og Jårån Surtelia

Two Numedal springar tunes in a row, after Arne Olsen and Leif Aasane, respectively. The first recalls fiddler and fiddle-maker Hellik Levordsen Ruud, (1849-1913), and the second is named for Jårån, a woman dancer and singer from Surtelia in Flesberg. I got the idea for this tune-combination is from Bård Vegard Bjørhusdal, one of my role models when it comes to playing for dancing.

12. Sylkjegulen og Fuglesangen

Two springar tunes, from the Krødsherad tradition after Truls Ørpen (1880-1958) that I often play for Numedal-dancers. Sylkjegulen is named after a silky-yellow horse and Fuglesangen means the bird song. I learned Sylkjegulen from Per Åsmund Omholt in Rauland, and Fuglesangen from Christian Borlaug.

13. Sevlen

Hauk is my primary source for this phenomenal halling tune. Its name recalls the notorious Sevle-guten, Ola Olsen Sevle (1808- 1834), from Nore in Numedal. In this recording, I play to Eivind Bakken’s dancing. Eivind received the King’s Trophy for his danc- ing to Sevlen at Landskappleiken in Geilo in 2007.