Slåtter På Vandring

EM09 / 2002

Tunes for the Fiddle and Hardanger Fiddle played in the Travellers Tradition Of Norway

Music has always played a central role in the cultural heritage of the travellers. Song, and particularly the old folk songs, are still important and for many travellers are an expression of their identity. The theme for this CD, however, is the extravert, professional and market-oriented music which, above all, is dance music. The public in this case have primarily been small countryside communities, and they have naturally “shaped” the music. This explains why the style and repertoire among travelling fiddlers has been almost identical to that of non-travelling fiddlers. It looks as if the travelling musicians have made a point of offering the “latest hits” to their public. This was a natural way to take advantage of the fact that they were constantly on the road and could capture new impulses in a different manner from those that were permanent residents. Peter Strømsing and Fant-Karl are perfect examples of this: they were, in their time, pioneers with respect to spreading the new, fashionable waltz to every corner of Norway.